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.

January 11, 2020 9:11 AM

France has changed — and so has 'Les Misérables'

This 2019 film is not another adaptation of the Victor Hugo novel. It portrays life in a poor Paris suburb — where the police force is corrupt and residents are struggling just to get by.

by Rebecca Rosman

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January 11, 2020 6:00 AM

Brash, bizarre 'Oligarchy' is an unflinching look at troubled young women

Scarlett Thomas' novel, set among wealthy girls at a British boarding school, is an audacious examination of disordered eating and social competition that turns dark when one of the girls drowns.

by Michael Schaub

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January 10, 2020 5:06 PM

A hilarious and razor-sharp debut

“It’s a book that’s a combination of funny and smart,” said bookseller Danny Caine. “And that’s my favorite thing, when something can be hilarious with a lot to say.”

by Tracy Mumford

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January 10, 2020 2:10 PM

Author Peggy Orenstein on ‘Boys & Sex’

Are you dreading having “the talk” with your son? Author Peggy Orenstein did some of the legwork for you. She shares what she found in her new book.

by Kerri Miller and Marcheta Fornoff

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January 9, 2020 12:52 PM

St. Paul libraries want to foster a communitywide conversation about climate change

St. Paul Public Libraries has curated a selection of books climate change for all ages and tastes. Library Director Catherine Penkert recommended some of her picks on Climate Cast.

by Paul Huttner and Megan Burks

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January 9, 2020 10:55 AM

New collection celebrates Jean Stafford, a gifted novelist who deserved better

Stafford is often remembered as wife No. 1 in the many biographies and studies of poet Robert Lowell. But a new Library of America edition of her three novels showcases her masterful writing.

by Maureen Corrigan

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January 9, 2020 10:55 AM

'American Oligarchs' reveals how Trump, Kushner families learned to work the system

Author Andrea Bernstein says Donald Trump and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, have benefited from family connections — and the influence of money in politics.

by Terry Gross

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January 9, 2020 10:55 AM

'Boys & Sex' reveals that young men feel 'cut off from their hearts'

Author Peggy Orenstein spoke to more than 100 young men of diverse backgrounds about sex, porn, gender and intimacy. Boys, she found, often lack "permission or space" to discuss their interior lives.

by Terry Gross

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January 9, 2020 9:00 AM

'Creatures' examines the heartbreak of being human

Crissy Van Meter's debut novel is so assured, it's hard to believe it's a debut. It's the story of a young woman dealing with her mother and her difficult family history on the eve of her wedding.

by Michael Schaub