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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.

A former Jehovah's Witness on leaving the faith

A former Jehovah's Witness on leaving the faith

"I felt like everything that had mattered to me was gone," Amber Scorah says of her decision to leave the Jehovah's Witness community she grew up in.
by Terry Gross

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The Hawaiian language nearly died. A radio show sparked its revival

The Hawaiian language nearly died. A radio show sparked its revival

In Hawaii today, nearly everyone knows how to speak a few words and phrases of Hawaiian. But the practice of primarily speaking the Hawaiian language from birth nearly died two generations ago.
by Sara Kehaulani Goo

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How Prince worked his magic on the Bangles' 'Manic Monday'

How Prince worked his magic on the Bangles' 'Manic Monday'

In the 1980s, Prince wrote one of the Bangles' biggest hits, 'Manic Monday.' Now, The Prince Estate has released the demo version of the track as part of the artist's posthumous album, Originals.
by Samantha Balaban

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Simple, sassy 'Summer of '69' is the perfect beach read

Simple, sassy 'Summer of '69' is the perfect beach read

Elin Hilderbrand -- known as the "Queen of Summer" -- is back with another beachy tale of family secrets and intrigue (and tasty period details), set on Nantucket during the turbulent summer of 1969.
by Jean Zimmerman

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For 4th weekend, protesters gather at Children's Theatre Company

For 4th weekend, protesters gather at Children's Theatre Company

The protesters began gathering four weeks ago in response to the news that CTC had filed claims against an assault survivor in order to recoup legal expenses, which were later dropped.
by Marianne Combs

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2 fractured halves make a whole in 'Evvie Drake'

2 fractured halves make a whole in 'Evvie Drake'

The debut novel from NPR's own Linda Holmes follows a suddenly widowed (and not all that grief-stricken) woman and her new lodger -- a former major league ballplayer who's lost his ability to pitch.
by Scott Simon

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'Great writing, great style, a nice long page turner'

'Great writing, great style, a nice long page turner'

"You kind of fall in love with the heroine," said bookseller Darryl Peck. "Which is always a nice way to make it through a summer read."
by Tracy Mumford

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'The Accident of Color' looks at the failure of Reconstruction

'The Accident of Color' looks at the failure of Reconstruction

Daniel Brook has written a book that goes a long way toward injecting thoughtfulness into popular notions of the history of race and racism in America but doesn't delve far enough into class conflict.
by Kamil Ahsan

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Carrie Underwood faces allegations of copyright infringement in Sunday Night Football theme

Carrie Underwood performs tonight at Target Center in Minneapolis. The concert comes amid news this week that Underwood is being sued for copyright infringement over her song "Game On."
by Cathy Wurzer

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A noir stalwart builds a new old world in 'The Grand Dark'

A noir stalwart builds a new old world in 'The Grand Dark'

Richard Kadrey-- known for his Sandman Slim series of supernatural noirs -- reinvents himself in grand fashion with 'The Grand Dark,' a diesel-punk fantasy set in a simulacrum of Weimar Germany.
by Jason Heller

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