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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.

Women describe a pattern of abuse by TU Dance co-founder

Women describe a pattern of abuse by TU Dance co-founder

Uri Sands, through his attorney, maintains the relationships were consensual. But four dancers say Sands’ position of power in the company and the dance community made it impossible for them to have consensual relationships with him.
by Marianne Combs

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In 'The Only Child,' the thrills might be lost in translation

In 'The Only Child,' the thrills might be lost in translation

Mi-Ae Seo's novel has a great premise: “The Bad Seed” meets “The Silence of the Lambs.” But this tale of a psychologist and her creepy stepdaughter is hampered by its structure and stilted, strange prose.
by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

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'Just plain ugly': Proposed executive order takes aim at modern architecture

'Just plain ugly': Proposed executive order takes aim at modern architecture

President Trump upset the architectural world when he proposed an executive order mandating traditional, classical architecture for new federal buildings, and calling some buildings "just plain ugly."
by Elizabeth Blair

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50 years of 'The Point,' Harry Nilsson's wonderful, weird musical fable

50 years of 'The Point,' Harry Nilsson's wonderful, weird musical fable

50 years after Harry Nilsson's concept album about a round-headed boy from a land of pointy heads, his son Kiefo and actor Mike Lookinland talk about a new release of the accompanying animated film.
by Ned Wharton and Scott Simon

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'The Boatman's Daughter' dips her toes in horror, crime and poetry

'The Boatman's Daughter' dips her toes in horror, crime and poetry

Andy Davidson's novel follows a young girl who scrapes a living working for local criminals along an Arkansas river — but its crime story bumps up against horror in a strange yet seamless fashion.
by Gabino Iglesias

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Hmong rappers get their chance to shine in YouTube competition

Hmong rappers get their chance to shine in YouTube competition

No matter who comes out on top, rappers say the competition is already paying off for artists in the small but growing Hmong hip-hop community hustling to get their music heard.
by Jeffrey Bissoy

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Steve Inskeep on ‘Imperfect Union’

Steve Inskeep on ‘Imperfect Union’

The NPR host’s new biography of Jessie and John Fremont details why one of America’s original power couples is still relevant to national politics today.
by Kerri Miller

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Fresh from Oscar wins, 'Parasite' director Bong Joon-ho is still pondering what they mean

Fresh from Oscar wins, 'Parasite' director Bong Joon-ho is still pondering what they mean

The South Korean film director spoke to a sold-out show at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis just days after his film “Parasite” won four Academy Awards: best picture, best director, best international picture, and best original screenplay.
by Euan Kerr

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Rochester oversight committee recommends changes for Civic Theatre

Rochester oversight committee recommends changes for Civic Theatre

A Rochester committee detailed a proposal to change the way the city supports the Rochester Civic Theatre. The recommendations come in the wake of the abrupt resignation of the theater’s director and recent revelations that the organization is struggling financially.
by Catharine Richert

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