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.

Home cooking: 10 northern Minnesota recipes to warm you
We asked our MPR News audience to tell us about the comfort foods they cook to help get their friends and families through the northern Minnesota winter. Here's what they shared.
Artist uses glass to see through layers of story at Weisman
Weisman Art Museum visitors this week can witness the building of an intricate glass jigsaw puzzle. It's a piece not only inspired by a painting from the Weisman collection; it includes the 100-year-old work as well.
A former speechwriter looks back on his 'Hopey, Changey' years with Obama
David Litt says writing speeches and jokes for former President Obama was often a delicate task: "There's a whole industry of people trying to take your words out of context."
When Michael Jackson had trouble finding a duet partner
Jackson initially asked Barbra Streisand and Whitney Houston to sing "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" with him but they declined.
CSA — with a twist — aims to create 'deeper understanding' of Hmong art, farmers
ArtCrop intends to highlight the importance that agriculture plays in the Hmong culture, while also drawing attention to the parallel challenges that artists and farmers face: That despite value in their work, both often struggle to thrive.
James McBride's 'Five-Carat Soul' is a gem
The National Book Award-winning writer's debut story collection includes stories both straightforward and surreal. NPR's critic calls it 'brash, daring and defiantly original.'
The inspiration for Buddy Holly's 'That'll Be the Day'
In 1956 Buddy Holly and his drummer Jerry Allison went to see a movie in their hometown of Lubbock, Texas. They saw "The Searchers" starring John Wayne.
Thread Book Hour: Sherman Alexie on the aftermath of the 'Native American Apocalypse'
MPR's Kerri Miller interviews author Sherman Alexie as part of the "Talking Volumes" series at the Fitzgerald Theater. He's written a memoir about his mother, "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me."
'Significant Zero': Inside the video game industry
Videogame writer Walt Williams describes his Red-Bull-and-Adderal-fueled advancement in a competitive and secretive industry. Critic Jason Sheehan says the book 'plays out ... like a videogame.'