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.

Barbara Bush saw Trump as a 'symbol of greed'
A new biography of the former first lady finds that her disdain for the Republican president, who transformed the party her own family had embodied for generations into his likeness, dates as least as far back as a 1990s diary entry.
Officials say rapper Nipsey Hussle shot and killed at 33
Nipsey Hussle, a respected rapper who earned a Grammy nomination this year for his major-label debut, was fatally shot outside his clothing store, authorities said.
'Greek To Me' highlights the way ardent interests can enrich a life
"Comma Queen" Mary Norris is an uncommonly engaging, witty enthusiast with a nose for delicious details and funny asides that makes you willing to follow her anywhere.
'Love Your Enemies' ... and maaaybe you'll get them to agree with you
Arthur Brooks says that even if you're sure someone's lying, calling that person a liar won't help your case. His book describes "how decent people can save America from the culture of contempt."
Theoretical physics and down-to-earth loneliness in 'Lost and Wanted'
Nell Freudenberger's new novel is a bittersweet love story -- about a lost friend, a missed romance, and an all-consuming career -- that uses dense scientific concepts to illuminate everyday emotions.
How a cosmic collision sparked a Native American translator's labor of love
On April 1, astronomers will start two huge machines and officially restart their search for gravitational waves. One scientist gets his mom to translate news of each discovery into her native language, Blackfoot.
'Sky Without Stars': Vive la revolution ... in space!
Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell's new novel recasts "Les Miserables" on a distant -- yet French-inflected -- planet where a powerful Regime keeps the populace split and oppressed.
'Women Talking' gives a human voice to horror
Miriam Toews' new novel is based on an awful true story: The drugging and rape of women in a Mennonite colony in Bolivia. Toews says she wanted to show the women as real humans, not isolated cultists.