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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.

Edna O'Brien bears witness to horror in 'Girl'

Edna O'Brien bears witness to horror in 'Girl'

O'Brien's 19th novel is based on the real story of the Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped by jihadist group Boko Haram in 2014. It's a painful and essential read that ends on a hopeful yet realistic note.
by Michael Schaub

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In 'Olive, Again,' Elizabeth Strout revisits an old friend

In 'Olive, Again,' Elizabeth Strout revisits an old friend

Ten years after her Pulitzer Prize-winning Olive Kitteridge, Elizabeth Strout returns to the town of Crosby, Maine, where ornery Olive is learning about compassion, connection, and her own self.
by Heller McAlpin

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'The Compatriots' suggests the days of domestic-only politics are behind us

'The Compatriots' suggests the days of domestic-only politics are behind us

Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan, revered experts on the Russian secret service, give the book a credibility most others on Russian clandestine operations lack — and they also change the optics.
by Leonid Ragozin

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Ronan Farrow: 'Catch And Kill' tactics protected both Weinstein and Trump

Ronan Farrow: 'Catch And Kill' tactics protected both Weinstein and Trump

He was followed and his house bugged as he reported on allegations against Harvey Weinstein. Farrow says it's part of a pattern in which powerful entities go to extremes to quash unfavorable stories.
by Terry Gross

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Penumbra’s Lou Bellamy on the role theater can play in its community

Penumbra’s Lou Bellamy on the role theater can play in its community

Minnesota theater icon Lou Bellamy reflects on the role St. Paul’s Penumbra Theatre has in the Twin Cities, and why it’s important to stage productions that are relevant and thought-provoking.
by Angela Davis and Karen Zamora

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Elton John on music, addiction and family: 'I'm proud of who I am now'

Elton John on music, addiction and family: 'I'm proud of who I am now'

The artist says his father's early misgivings about his chosen career became a source of motivation: "He gave me the determination to make something of myself." John's new memoir is called Me.
by Terry Gross

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How Julie Andrews made herself at 'Home' in Hollywood

How Julie Andrews made herself at 'Home' in Hollywood

In a new memoir, the actress writes about the films and creative collaborations — like Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music — that marked the height of her fame.
by Rachel Martin

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The Five: ‘99 Glimpses of Princess Margaret,’ defrosted mammoth carcasses in Siberia and the Balloon Boy scandal solved

Stephanie Curtis, Cube Critic and program director for MPR News, spoke with Kerri Miller about five things you should read, watch, listen to or experience.
by Kerri Miller and Stephanie Curtis

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'The Man Who Saw Everything' is an eye-opening read

'The Man Who Saw Everything' is an eye-opening read

Deborah Levy's new book considers themes of objectification, betrayal and focus, centered on a historian who goes to East Berlin and finds himself both the observer and the observed.
by Heller McAlpin

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