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 space opera with a side of Byzantine history? Let's do this
"The whole time I was reading the book, I felt like I was reliving the experience of reading Frank Herbert's 'Dune' for the very first time," says bookseller Aaron Cance.
Paige Goehner from Blaine was just named the winner of "Kids Baking Championship" on the Food Network. She reflected on the competition and what it was like to keep that secret to herself for nine months.
80 years ago Kate Smith recorded what would become her signature song "God Bless America." The original version was written in 1918 by Irving Berlin. He re-worked the lyrics a bit and when Smith sang it on her nationally-syndicated radio show, it became an immediate hit.
Real life creates a recipe for baker's poetry
Master baker Danny Klecko's St. Agnes Bakery was the official bread supplier for the Super Bowl and they had a huge number of orders. Then ICE informed him that 23 of his staff, many of whom he had worked with for two decades, had failed an immigration audit, and would have to leave.
'High Heel' muses on beauty, power -- and stilettos
When she worked at the U.N., Summer Brennan wore high heels almost every day -- even when they made her fall. Her new book is an exploration of modern womanhood through the history of heels.
Appetites: Making wedding cakes with love
Say your friend asks you to make a wedding cake. Are you qualified? Probably not. Should you do it? Amy Thielen is here to say: Yes! Absolutely!
Curlytics: The analytics revolution sweeps into curling
The analytics entrenched in baseball and other sports are meeting the swept ice, thrown stones and hammers of curling. The turn-based game on ice is primed for data derived strategies.