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.

Late sculptor's home now a museum of his work
The widow of Rochester-based sculptor Charles Gagnon has converted their home into a museum to display his work. Gagnon designed the iconic Peace Fountain in downtown Rochester.
Photo exhibit reveals more the longer you look
Sara Cwynar's carefully constructed images appear casual, at first.
'Accessory to War' is an uncomfortable wake-up call for some
An "unspoken alliance" between scientists and the military had been brewing for millennia prior to Hiroshima. Neil deGrasse Tyson and Avis Lang excel at detailing this union and its possible future.
Activist DeRay McKesson on why he's making 'The Case for Hope'
In his new book,"On the Other Side of Freedom: The Case for Hope," activist and author Deray McKesson tells his personal story and shares his thinking about activism.
'A Room Away from the Wolves' makes the Gothic bitingly modern
Nova Ren Suma takes all the classic Gothic novel tropes -- an old house, a cursed ring, evil stepsisters, a dark family legacy -- and gives them a bracing update.
Apocalypse? Naw. 'Woman World' is a laid-back utopia
Aminder Dhaliwal's popular Instagram comic chronicles life in a world where men have gone extinct. It turns out, without men, life is pretty mellow -- making for a sly critique of patriarchy.
An almost-too-real portrait of modern Russia
"It's very harsh and it's full of violence and incongruities, but it's also truly fully of the Russian spirit," says bookseller Kate Jacobs, about the novel "A Terrible Country."
Guthrie brings 'Frankenstein' back to life
In the stage adaption of Mary Shelley's classic story, the monster and his creator wrestle with timeless questions.