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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.

Lindy West: 'The Witches are Coming' — and they are rightfully angry

Lindy West: 'The Witches are Coming' — and they are rightfully angry

"For a long time, a certain set of men have called women like me 'witches' to silence and discredit us," West says. Her book explores misogyny, the #MeToo movement and growing up female in America.
by Noel King

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'Space Invaders' maps pixelated battles onto real-life conflict

'Space Invaders' maps pixelated battles onto real-life conflict

The characters in Nona Fernández' new book are coming of age during Chile's brutal military dictatorship — and for them, video games are a useful framework for understanding the dangers all around.
by Lily Meyer

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Face-to-face with a grizzly

Face-to-face with a grizzly

Duluth author Alex Messenger's new book recounts how his encounter with a grizzly bear during a 600-mile canoe trip changed his life.
by Euan Kerr

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'The Movie Musical!' is a symphony in praise of the 'razzmatazz' of the genre

'The Movie Musical!' is a symphony in praise of the 'razzmatazz' of the genre

Jeanine Basinger argues, authoritatively and passionately, that the musical has never really left us, that there's relevance and inspiration to be gleaned from the golden age of Hollywood musicals.
by Jason Heller

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London's 'Mudlark' pulls treasure from the Thames

London's 'Mudlark' pulls treasure from the Thames

"I'm finding these ordinary pieces that perhaps, almost undoubtedly, nobody's touched since the last person who dropped it," Lara Maiklem says. "To reach down and pick that up is like reaching back through time, into history itself. It's the closest thing I can imagine to time travel."
by Petra Mayer

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The Booker Prize is shared by the 12 black Brits in 'Girl, Woman, Other'

The Booker Prize is shared by the 12 black Brits in 'Girl, Woman, Other'

Bernardine Evaristo's new award-winning novel follows a dozen different characters, aged 19-93. "I wanted to put as many black British women into it as possible," the author says.
by Scott Simon

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'The Guinevere Deception' casts a surprising spell

'The Guinevere Deception' casts a surprising spell

Kiersten White's retelling of the King Arthur story puts his queen Guinevere at the center — only she's not really Guinevere. She's a magic-wielding changeling, sent to court to protect the king.
by Caitlyn Paxson

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With floral candles, Hmong sisters honor parents’ farming legacy

With floral candles, Hmong sisters honor parents’ farming legacy

Each November, the Hmong American Farmers Association offers artwork people can buy alongside produce grown by Hmong farmers. This year’s art — candles featuring flowers from a Hmong family’s field — comes with a good story.

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