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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.

ChangeMakers: Lou and Sarah Bellamy, using theater to give voice

ChangeMakers: Lou and Sarah Bellamy, using theater to give voice

Lou Bellamy, 75, founded Penumbra Theatre in 1976 to provide a platform for African-American voices. His daughter, Sarah Bellamy, 40, took over as the company's artistic director in 2017.
by Christine T. Nguyen

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'We Set the Dark on Fire' burns bright

'We Set the Dark on Fire' burns bright

Tehlor Kay Mejia's debut novel is set at a posh girls' school in a dystopian world where the students are being trained for lives as political consorts to powerful men.
by Caitlyn Paxson

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Wherefore art thou Gnocchi-o? Fair Verona has another enduring love story

Wherefore art thou Gnocchi-o? Fair Verona has another enduring love story

Though the potato dumplings are found all over Italy, it's only in Verona that the dish inspired a pre-Lent holiday, complete with a parade, costumes and an elected Santa-esque figure, Papa del Gnoco.
by Vicky Hallett

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Minnesota novel revisits meth crisis of the '90s

Minnesota novel revisits meth crisis of the '90s

"Northern Lights" tracks a young man through a succession of small towns and counters the myth that meth affects only the poorest of the poor.
by Euan Kerr

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In 'The Good Immigrant,' new Americans grapple with their polarized county

In 'The Good Immigrant,' new Americans grapple with their polarized county

Co-editor Chimene Suleyman says she doesn't want to wait for other people to decide who's a good immigrant. She wants immigrants to answer that question for themselves.
by Joel Rose

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In climate change, stories have a role to play

In climate change, stories have a role to play

The editors of this new anthology -- drawn from a story contest run by Arizona State University -- argue that stories are as necessary as policy and technology in the fight against climate change.
by Jason Sheehan

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