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.

Sexuality, mortality, failure -- 'My Ex-Life' has fun asking big questions
A divorced couple reconnects after nearly 30 years apart in Stephen McCauley's new novel. Critic Maureen Corrigan says "My Ex-Life" is a social satire that's "suffused with generosity."
Patrick's Cabaret to bring down the curtain for good
The loss of yet another stage further reduces the options for performers who are trying to establish themselves.
'Some Trick' takes on the life of the (delightfully irritable) mind
Helen DeWitt's new story collection seems less like a book, and more like a series of notes from some vast, alien intelligence, capable of picking apart human habits with startling precision.
Thread Book Hour: Arundhati Roy
Kerri Miller interviews Man Booker Award winning author Arundhati Roy.
Two Syrian teenage girls, 800 years apart
The author of "The Map of Salt and Stars" tells two parallel stories that she hopes will move readers to care about the Syrian war.
What happens when two enemies fall in love?
A love story between a black Army nurse and a German POW during World War II? You couldn't make that story up -- and Alexis Clark, author of the upcoming book, "Enemies in Love," didn't.
Spoonfuls of Stonehenge: modern ice cream flavors inspired by history
A small-batch ice cream maker in Baltimore explores the sweet -- and salty, spicy and even a little nutty -- sides of historical people and places through clever, deeply researched flavor combinations.