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.

January 9, 2018 10:50 AM

Kendrick Lamar and President Trump were two ships passing in the night

The political irony was mostly symbolic, as Trump left the National College Football Championship before Lamar's halftime show took place just outside the stadium.

by Rodney Carmichael

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January 9, 2018 12:00 AM

For 'The Immortalists,' knowledge of death changes lives

In Chloe Benjamin's new book, four siblings growing up on the Lower East Side amid the upheavals of the 1960s gain forbidden, life-changing knowledge: The exact year and date of their deaths.

by Jean Zimmerman

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January 9, 2018 12:00 AM

Posthumously published 'Sea Maiden' affirms Denis Johnson's eternal voice

A new collection features five stand-alone stories by Johnson, who died in 2017. Critic Maureen Corrigan says "The Largesse of the Sea Maiden" is "the kind of work every writer would like to go out on."

by Maureen Corrigan

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January 8, 2018 7:09 PM

Want a new you for the New Year? These books might actually help

Jolenta Greenberg and Kristen Meinzer live by a new self-help book for each episode of their podcast By the Book, so they're experts on which ones might really help us keep our New Year's resolutions.

by Ari Shapiro

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January 8, 2018 6:35 PM

Are gummy bear flavors just fooling our brains?

Color really does impact our perception of taste -- even if the ingredients are otherwise the same, scientists say. It's something candy companies use to their advantage.

by Ashlie Stevens

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January 8, 2018 4:41 PM

Keillor, MPR say they're in mediation

The company severed its contracts with the longtime host of A Prairie Home Companion after allegations of inappropriate behavior.

by Laura Yuen and Eric Ringham

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January 8, 2018 4:24 PM

What history and fiction teach us about women and power

Psychologist Tania Lombrozo considers two books: In one, we learn what ancient Greece can tell us about Twitter trolls and, in the other, we're shown a world in which women have power over men.

by Tania Lombrozo

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January 8, 2018 11:20 AM

'Testify' exhibit showcases personal art collection and a mission for Alan Page

A prominent Minnesotan and his family are sharing their personal collection of slavery artifacts and African-American art in hopes of reframing the conversation on race in America today.

by Nina Moini