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Arts and Culture

MPR News has you covered with news and stories about local art and culture happenings across Minnesota.

Art Hounds: Art Hounds are members of the Minnesota arts community who look beyond their own work to highlight what's exciting in local art. You can explore arts events here, or become an Art Hound today.

Art Reviews: Our arts team offers insight on the latest in theater, music, visual arts and more. We explore the breadth of creativity and innovation found throughout Minnesota, offering audiences a deeper understanding of the works and artists shaping our cultural landscape. Read more here.

Art Friend: Everyone needs an art friend. Art Friend is a new segment with our arts team. Art spaces can feel exclusive and art can be confusing, obtuse, and even boring. But, especially with the right context, everyone can be a critic. So let us be your guide- your Art Friend. Listen or read Art Friend stories here.

Our arts coverage is made possible in part by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment's Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.

B. Smith, model turned lifestyle guru, dead at 70

B. Smith, model turned lifestyle guru, dead at 70

Smith died Saturday evening after battling early onset Alzheimer's disease, which she was diagnosed with in 2013. She and her husband, Dan Gasby, raised awareness of the disease, and particularly its impacts on the African-American community, following her diagnosis.
by The Associated Press

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Who should decide what books are allowed in prison?

Who should decide what books are allowed in prison?

"It's so important for people who are in prison to be able to have access to materials that give them hope and a reason to want to be part of society again, to want to engage, to see the future," says Rebecca Ginsburg of the Education Justice Project.
by Lee Gaines

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'An Evening with Whitney' hologram tour trades on the image of a complicated star

'An Evening with Whitney' hologram tour trades on the image of a complicated star

NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks with Jason King of New York University about the surge in hologram tours, and about the ethical implications of re-creating the image of Whitney Houston.
by Lulu Garcia-Navarro and Jason King

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In 'Foul Is Fair,' Lady Macbeth goes to prep school

In 'Foul Is Fair,' Lady Macbeth goes to prep school

Hannah Capin's new young adult novel is a modern-day retelling of “Macbeth” — centered on Lady Macbeth, now a high-schooler taking bloody revenge on the prep school boys who assaulted her at a party.
by Alethea Kontis

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'Unseen artist' Eric Tucker spent decades painting — but nobody knew

'Unseen artist' Eric Tucker spent decades painting — but nobody knew

Boxer and laborer Eric Tucker created hundreds of paintings of his hometown — and kept them secret, stashed around his house. Now, almost two years after his death, he has a museum exhibition.
by Frank Langfitt

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Survival of the friendliest: How our close friendships help us thrive

Survival of the friendliest: How our close friendships help us thrive

On average, people have only four very close relationships, author Lydia Denworth finds, and very few people can sustain more than six. But the effect of these few core relationships extends beyond our social lives.
by Elena Renken

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Author Dina Nayeri on breaking down stereotypes of the refugee experience

Author Dina Nayeri on breaking down stereotypes of the refugee experience

Dina Nayeri fled the Iran revolution with her family when she was 8. In her new book, "The Ungrateful Refugee: What Immigrants Never Tell You," she examines what it means to be a refugee.
by Kerri Miller and Jeffrey Bissoy

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A trip to the CMAs gave this Minnesota teen a reason to keep living

A trip to the CMAs gave this Minnesota teen a reason to keep living

When Jade Ochu was just a baby, she was diagnosed with systemic mastocytosis — a rare, painful and incurable blood condition. She was close to giving up on her treatments a couple of years ago. That’s when Make-A-Wish Minnesota stepped in with the chance of a lifetime: a trip to the Country Music Association Awards.
by Angela Davis and Katie Moritz

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