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.

R. Kelly calls accusers 'liars' in sex abuse case
The singer, out on bail following his Feb. 22 arrest in Chicago, said he has done "lots of things wrong" when it comes to women, but said he has apologized. He denies doing anything against their will.
'The Wolf and the Watchman' has some serious bite
Niklas Natt och Dag's new novel is both ornate period piece -- set in the grit and grime of late-18th-century Stockholm -- and riveting murder mystery starring a mismatched pair of proto-gumshoes.
In wildly satirical 'Man-Eaters,' teen girls turn into ferocious panthers
In the world of writer Chelsea Cain and artist Kate Niemczyk, women are seen as dangerous animals. They bring that world to life with pages and pages of ephemera: fake ads, pamphlets, even a magazine.
One local group is Emily Haavik & the 35s. Haavik is a Duluth native who now lives in the Twin Cities, and her bandmates are the 35s — so called because they live in Duluth, and many trips are made along I-35 to play music together.
Poet Ross Gay finds delight even in difficult times
After writing an essay every day about something that delighted him for a year, Ross Gay discovered things about himself -- and everyone else.
'A Friend is a Gift' for crime novel fans
William Boyle's new novel follows mob widow Rena, her granddaughter and an ex-porn-star neighbor, on the run from a crazed mafia enforcer in -- what else? -- a 1962 Chevy Impala.