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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.

Sprawling 'Revisionaries' impresses and exasperates in equal measures

Sprawling 'Revisionaries' impresses and exasperates in equal measures

A.R. Moxon's surreal, inexplicable novel is a literary puzzle box that takes place across at least four levels of reality, in at least five typefaces — and yet, it's compulsively readable.
by Amal El-Mohtar

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‘Benson,’ ‘Star Trek’ actor René Auberjonois dies at 79

‘Benson,’ ‘Star Trek’ actor René Auberjonois dies at 79

René Auberjonois, a prolific actor best known for his roles on the television shows “Benson” and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and his part in the 1970 film “M.A.S.H.” playing Father Mulcahy, has died. He was 79.
by The Associated Press

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Rapper Juice WRLD dies after medical emergency in Chicago

Rapper Juice WRLD dies after medical emergency in Chicago

Rapper Juice WRLD, who launched his career on SoundCloud before becoming a streaming juggernaut and rose to the top of the charts with the Sting-sampled hit “Lucid Dreams,” died Sunday after a “medical emergency” at Chicago's Midway International Airport.
by The Associated Press

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'Sesame Street' puppeteer Caroll Spinney dies at age 85

'Sesame Street' puppeteer Caroll Spinney dies at age 85

Caroll Spinney, who gave Big Bird his warmth and Oscar the Grouch his growl for nearly 50 years on “Sesame Street,” died Sunday at the age of 85 at his home in Connecticut, according to the Sesame Workshop.
by The Associated Press

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Candy canals: Architects craft gingerbread replica of Venice

Candy canals: Architects craft gingerbread replica of Venice

A competition brought hundreds of architects, designers and engineers together to build a mini version of the Italian city out of gingerbread, candy bars, jelly beans, cereal, gummy bears and more.
by Sophia Alvarez Boyd

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In 'Parker Looks Up,' a 2-year-old shares a moment with Michelle Obama

In 'Parker Looks Up,' a 2-year-old shares a moment with Michelle Obama

In 2018, a photo of Parker Curry looking at a portrait of Michelle Obama went viral. Within a week, she got to meet the first lady. Parker tells the story in a new book she co-authored with her mom.
by Samantha Balaban

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Sock it to me: In praise of an evergreen holiday gift

Sock it to me: In praise of an evergreen holiday gift

It's the holiday gift for when you can't think of what else to give — socks! And they're having their fashion-world moment, says Steven Frumkin, a dean at the Fashion Institute of Technology.
by Scott Simon

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'Reverie' dreams outside the box

'Reverie' dreams outside the box

Ryan LaSala's new novel imagines a world where people get swept up in dangerous, all-encompassing dreams — and only a damaged, anmesiac kid and his friends have the power to fight them.
by Caitlyn Paxson

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'This Book Is Not For You' -- but it is

'This Book Is Not For You' -- but it is

This book is almost impossible to describe without revealing too much, according to bookseller Sarah Wilson: “It’s very intriguing, it’s got a very dark, humorous edge to it.”
by Tracy Mumford

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Got a young reader on your holiday gift list? Here are some options

Got a young reader on your holiday gift list? Here are some options

Are you shopping for gifts for that special child or teenager in your life? How about a book? On Friday, MPR News host Angela Davis was joined by two local children’s book experts. They offered up some of the best titles for kids and teens this holiday season.
by Jim Bickal, Mike Moen, Angela Davis and Karen Zamora

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