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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.

Art Shanty Projects shift into drive with a ‘tiny art car parade’

Art Shanty Projects shift into drive with a ‘tiny art car parade’

For the next month, visitors on Lake Harriet can enjoy installations and performances of more than 100 artists — on the ice. And every Sunday, it will feature the “world’s only tiny art car parade on ice.”
by Euan Kerr

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Christopher Tolkien, 'Middle-earth's first scholar,' dies at 95

J.R.R. Tolkien's son was instrumental in cultivating his father's legacy, shepherding unpublished works to readers and helping extend the world of “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings.”
by Colin Dwyer

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Counter Stories: Sisters in Loss

Counter Stories: Sisters in Loss

The Counter Stories team look at the effect of implicit bias and institutional racism on women’s reproductive health.

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'Kingdomtide' and 'Dear Edward': 2 new novels take on a singular situation

'Kingdomtide' and 'Dear Edward': 2 new novels take on a singular situation

If the chances of dying in a plane crash are slim, being the sole survivor is even less likely — but that's the premise for two new novels, Ann Napolitano's Dear Edward and Rye Curtis's Kingdomtide.
by Heller McAlpin

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Older actors find a stage where age is no problem

Older actors find a stage where age is no problem

At Theatre 55, people get to play parts they thought were outside their range.
by Peter Cox

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Art Hounds: Abstract reflections on rural flight

Art Hounds: Abstract reflections on rural flight

Heidi Jeub's abstract paintings contemplate what it means for a community to lose itself. Plus, Art Hounds recommend a visit to Franconia Sculpture Park in the heart of winter, and a storyteller's account of "How the Wild West was Spun."
by Marianne Combs

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For January, 3 enemies-to-lovers romances

For January, 3 enemies-to-lovers romances

This month, we're celebrating an old favorite trope: Enemies who fall for each other. Sparks and witty banter fly in these three novels, starring rival TV hosts, youth pastors and fashion executives.
by Maya Rodale

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Love by the letters in 'How To Speak Boy'

Love by the letters in 'How To Speak Boy'

Fans of “You've Got Mail” will find a lot to love in Tiana Smith's tale of a high-achieving high-schooler who gets distracted by a correspondence with another student whose identity is a mystery.
by Alethea Kontis

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