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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 new novel makes the 'Sugar Run' out of jail and back to West Virginia

A new novel makes the 'Sugar Run' out of jail and back to West Virginia

Mesha Maren's debut book follows a queer woman trying to restart her life and return to rural Appalachia. For the author, it's a place sometimes 'difficult to love,' but loved with 'extra fierceness.'

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The spirit tells the story in 'Orchestra of Minorities'

The spirit tells the story in 'Orchestra of Minorities'

Chigozie Obioma's latest novel is a love story, a story of exile, a mix of classical tragedy and Igbo folklore, narrated by a chi -- a guardian spirit that refers to Obioma's protagonist as its host.

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How to dial 911 from space

How to dial 911 from space

Dutch astronaut Andre Kuipers made the extra-long distance call by accident, but he was "disappointed" when emergency responders didn't show up at the International Space Station.

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Twin Cities hip-hop pioneers I.R.M Crew to reunite

Twin Cities hip-hop pioneers I.R.M Crew to reunite

The I-R-M Crew -- the first Twin Cities hip-hop group to release an album in the mid-1980s -- reunites for a performance Friday night at the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis.
by Cathy Wurzer

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Remembering Daryl Dragon

Daryl Dragon, better known as the Captain in the Captain and Tennille, died Wednesday at the age of 76.
by Cathy Wurzer

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Art Hounds: Old Log Theatre stages the farce 'Lend Me A Tenor'

Art Hounds: Old Log Theatre stages the farce 'Lend Me A Tenor'

Plus, Art Hounds recommend a Minnesota music line-up in Rochester and an installation of stainless-steel ellipses in Minneapolis.
by Marianne Combs

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Pro wrestling interviewer 'Mean Gene' Okerlund dies

Pro wrestling interviewer 'Mean Gene' Okerlund dies

Eugene "Mean Gene" Okerlund, whose deadpan interviews of pro wrestling superstars like "Macho Man" Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan made him a ringside fixture in his own right, has died. Okerlund started as an interviewer in the Minneapolis-based American Wrestling Association.
by Jeff Baenen, Associated Press

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The Thread: Best books of 2018

Three of the most bookish people at MPR ran down the books from 2018 that you should put at the top of your reading list.
by Kerri Miller, Stephanie Curtis and Tracy Mumford

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What's in store for Minnesota in 2019?

What's ahead for Minnesota in the new year? MPR News host Angela Davis spoke with three guests about what to watch when it comes to Minnesota politics, the arts and the economy in 2019.
by Angela Davis

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