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.

Ousted commander aims to 'Fight Like a Girl' against gender bias in Marines
Kate Germano worked to hold female recruits to a higher bar. Then she was fired. In a new book, the retired officer talks about her efforts to improve training for women throughout the Marine Corps.
Welcome to '887,' where memory and the script are fluid
The Canadian theater artist Robert Lepage delivers a stunning show about his childhood and the turbulent 1960s.
Would you want to know the exact date of your death?
Chloe Benjamin's novel "The Immortalists" follows four young siblings who meet with a traveling psychic. The psychic predicts the date of their deaths -- and that knowledge shapes every decision they make.
This Easter it hares repeating: Pets are not impulse buys
Like any pet, rabbits require preparation before being welcomed into a home, and dedication afterwards. Here's why you should not spontaneously buy one for your kids this year. Don't worry, we will follow the lecture with some cute bunnies.
In 'Hey Mom,' Louie Anderson has a laugh with his leading lady
The actor and stand-up comedian has channeled his late mother in his work for years. "Hey Mom" is Louie's way of catching her up on everything that's been going on in his life.
Hot agnostic buns: A proposal for a pagan-Christian-secular Easter treat
Hot cross buns have been an Easter treat for centuries. But before that, pagans exchanged them as part of a spring ritual celebrating the four seasons or the phases of the moon. Can they morph again?
Art Hounds: August Wilson's 'Fences' tours the North Shore
Plus, the Art Hounds recommend exhibitions at the American Swedish Institute and the Minnetonka Center for the Arts.
Stumbling (and texting) toward love in 'Emergency Contact'
Mary H.K. Choi's new novel follows Penny and Sam, both so loaded down with emotional baggage that at first, all they can do is swap numbers and agree to be each other's emergency contacts.