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.

Characters shine in powerful, dreamy 'The World Doesn't Require You'
Rion Amilcar Scott's second story collection returns readers to his fictional town of Cross River, Md., site of America's only successful slave uprising, and God is one of the best-known residents.
The Twin Cities-based group The Sounds of Blackness will be in Hampton, Va. this weekend to participate in a commemoration of 400th anniversary of the first enslaved people arriving from Africa in what would become the United States. There are a series of events planned at Fort Monroe which is near where the first ship arrived. The Sounds of Blackness and Common will be featured in a concert that will take place tomorrow night. MPR News’ Tim Nelson caught up with the group as it rehearsed this week and talked to music director Gary Hines.
'Going Dutch' is a charming, well-observed debut
James Gregor's novel about a gay man who falls into an intense relationship with a woman mixes old-fashioned style and contemporary setting. His observations on human nature are precisely rendered.
'The Trojan War Museum' is a gorgeous gallery of dreams
Ayşe Papatya Bucak's debut collection is full of musical, lyrical stories that occupy a dreamscape of Turkish culture, art history and surprise encounters between humans, ghosts and djinns.
Art Hounds: The Clemency of Tito's Tennis Club
A picnic operetta blends Mozart with '80s pop songs. Plus, the Art Hounds recommend an art show on anxiety and New Native Theatre's production of "The Rez Sisters.”