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.

Review: The Guthrie’s ‘Cabaret’ is a chilling look at how fascism happens
The Guthrie Theater’s production of “Cabaret” uses its familiar songs and story to show how escaping into entertainment can dull resistance to rising fascism, drawing clear parallels to today’s authoritarian threats.
‘Jurassic World’ needed a restart. Steven Spielberg knew who to call
In the 32 years since penning “Jurassic Park,” Wisconsin native David Koepp has established himself as one of Hollywood’s top screenwriters not through the boundlessness of his imagination but by his expertise in limiting it.
Music as medicine: Gifted Handz and the power of vulnerability
Three childhood friends in the Twin Cities band Gifted Handz created the gospel-fusion song “Freedom’s Intro” — inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.’s final speech — as a powerful, emotional centerpiece of their performances.
Closure of longtime Minneapolis punk house Disgraceland leaves behind a legacy
An era ended when the owner announced plans to sell the home. The last punks moved out on April 30. Disgraceland has hosted live music, sheltered touring bands and housed countless individuals within the local DIY and punk communities.
After 37 years, Hymie’s in Minneapolis spins its last record 
Adam Taylor, the store’s fourth owner, bought Hymie’s just before the COVID-19 pandemic. Taylor says that throughout the pandemic, record shops all around the Twin Cities were hit hard, experiencing financial hurdles that put some out of business.  
MN Shortlist June 27-July 3: Stage legends, literary quests and brunch in fabulous heels
MN Shortlist is your weekly curated roundup of recommended events from MPR News, highlighting standout performances, exhibits and gatherings around the region.
'Behind the Red Velvet Curtain'
Joy Womack is one of the few American ballet dancers to train and perform at Russia’s storied Bolshoi Academy. Her new memoir, as told to MPR News’ Elizabeth Shockman, is an intimate look at what it takes to become one of the best ballerinas in the world.