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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.

'Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss' is smart, comforting sentiment

'Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss' is smart, comforting sentiment

Rajeev Balasubramanyam's fourth novel follows a cantankerous yet sympathetic economics professor whose life is upended after he fails yet again to win a Nobel Prize (among other, lesser catastrophes).
by Heller McAlpin

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This is for 'The Undefeated': A new picture book celebrates black brilliance

This is for 'The Undefeated': A new picture book celebrates black brilliance

Kadir Nelson was inspired by Kwame Alexander's poem. It "spoke to excellence, and perseverance, and triumph amidst adversity," Nelson says. "It was an ode to the sung and unsung heroes in history."
by Ari Shapiro

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War and refuge: Minnesota Opera to set Hmong story to music

War and refuge: Minnesota Opera to set Hmong story to music

Kao Kalia Yang's memoir "The Song Poet" tells of her family's journey to St. Paul after war forces them to flee Laos. It's the first time a Hmong story will be presented as opera.
by Euan Kerr

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Barbara Bush saw Trump as a 'symbol of greed'

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.
by The Associated Press

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Officials say rapper Nipsey Hussle shot and killed at 33

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.
by The Associated Press

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'Greek To Me' highlights the way ardent interests can enrich a life

'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.
by Heller McAlpin

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'Love Your Enemies' ... and maaaybe you'll get them to agree with you

'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."
by Steve Inskeep

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Theoretical physics and down-to-earth loneliness in 'Lost and Wanted'

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.
by Heller McAlpin

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