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.

Minneapolis kicks off Black Business Week
Minneapolis’ annual Black Business Week kicks off Thursday afternoon, with several workshops, markets and events showcasing Black-owned businesses.
Cartoons, culture and care: Latino artist creates bilingual mental health universe
Rocky Casillas Aguirre’s bilingual art show, “U are the Universe,” uses playful cartoon characters to explore mental health in a way that’s accessible to Latino youth and families.
Music camp sparks creativity and friendship for Native youth
Rock the Rez is a week-long music camp for Indigenous girls, two-spirit and gender diverse youth. This summer marks the first year the music camp is in Minnesota.
The MPower Northside Arts Festival will scatter local artists to paint murals at grocery stores, churches and other businesses along the West Broadway corridor in Minneapolis.
Q&A: With ‘Chunkadelic,’ Nur-D doubles down on joy and resistance
Minnesota rapper Nur-D discusses his new album “Chunkadelic,” a genre-blending, deeply personal project born from a Reddit insult, exploring joy, resistance and staying true to himself in a conformist industry.
Finding purpose: Steve Grove on rediscovering the Midwest
MPR News host Angela Davis talks with Steve Grove, CEO and publisher of the Minnesota Star Tribune and author of the new book, “How I Found Myself in the Midwest.”
Flagbearer: Minnesota Iranian artist wins national visual arts prize
Minnesota-based Iranian artist Ziba Rajabi has won the inaugural $20,000 DAG Prize for Visual Arts to create “Kotál,” a large-scale fabric installation rooted in Persian mourning rituals that honors women who died pursuing freedom and continues her exploration of grief, memory and cultural displacement.