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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.

'1973: Rock at the Crossroads' acts as a mirror for one moment in time

'1973: Rock at the Crossroads' acts as a mirror for one moment in time

Via popular music, Andrew Grant Jackson paints a vivid portrait of a year that was the last gasp of an age of possibility, when idealism gave way to economic recession and cynical disillusionment.
by Michael Schaub

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'At the Mountains of Madness,' spheroid space monsters are just like us

'At the Mountains of Madness,' spheroid space monsters are just like us

Gou Tanabe's graphic novel adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's novella makes its monsters both terrifying and weirdly human. Even if space spheres aren't your thing, Tanabe's art still prompts wonder.
by Etelka Lehoczky

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Art Hounds: 'Underwater Dogs' in Winona

Art Hounds: 'Underwater Dogs' in Winona

Dogs abound this week on Art Hounds. The Minnesota Marine Art Museum presents Seth Casteel's beloved photos of dogs in water. Plus, there’s "Dog Act," a postapocalyptic vaudeville show. Art Hounds also recommend "on bayt," an exhibition that explores inter-generational memory and the longing for home.
by Marianne Combs

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He was a horse that never won a race. So why should someone steal him?

He was a horse that never won a race. So why should someone steal him?

On Christmas Eve 2004, Urgent Envoy disappeared from his stable in the middle of the night. He had finished his only ever race in last place, but that didn't matter to the trainer who took him.
by Taylor Haney

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'The best thing you can do is not buy more stuff,' says 'Secondhand' expert

'The best thing you can do is not buy more stuff,' says 'Secondhand' expert

"Your average thrift store in the United States only sells about one-third of the stuff that ends up on its shelves," Adam Minter says. His book explores what happens to the things that don't sell.
by Terry Gross

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What bestseller lists really tell us about a book's popularity

What bestseller lists really tell us about a book's popularity

The Republican National Committee spent nearly $100,000 buying copies of Donald Trump Jr.'s new book. But did that money buy a spot on the New York Times bestseller list? Not exactly.
by Rose Friedman

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Maureen Corrigan's favorite books of 2019: Here are 10 unputdownable reads

Maureen Corrigan's favorite books of 2019: Here are 10 unputdownable reads

This year's list is a mix of literary fiction, true crime, memoirs and essays, from acclaimed authors as well as some brand new voices — and you won't be able to put any of them down.
by Maureen Corrigan

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