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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.

Happy birthday Bootsy!

He got his first break in 1970 when he was hired to play bass in James Brown's band. He went on to become a major figure in funk music as a member of Funkadelic and Parliament.
by MPR News Staff

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Best fiction picks of fall

Best fiction picks of fall

Outer space. Isolated woods. Alternate worlds. Go somewhere new with our fall fiction picks.
by MPR News Staff and Tracy Mumford

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Fats Domino, architect of rock and roll, dead at 89

Fats Domino, architect of rock and roll, dead at 89

The rhythm-and-blues legend who became one of the progenitors of rock 'n' roll -- and reportedly sold more than 65 million records along the way -- died Tuesday at the age of 89.
by Gwen Thompkins

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What if Mavis Staples had married Bob Dylan?

What if Mavis Staples had married Bob Dylan?

This is the first time they've toured together but Staples and Dylan have known each other for a long time, and even dated for a while in the 1960s.
by MPR News Staff

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Thread Book Hour: How Amy Tan's book on writing became a memoir

Thread Book Hour: How Amy Tan's book on writing became a memoir

On this installment of The Thread Book Hour, author Amy Tan speaks with Kerri Miller about her new memoir, "Where the Past Begins."
by MPR News Staff

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'I Can't Breathe' examines modern policing and the life and death of Eric Garner

'I Can't Breathe' examines modern policing and the life and death of Eric Garner

"The reality is that Eric Garner died at the hands of a police force and a criminal justice system that were designed entirely by white people, for the most part," says journalist Matt Taibbi.
by Terry Gross

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Photographer's new book offers 'glimpse into the human side of Prince'

Photographer's new book offers 'glimpse into the human side of Prince'

Afshin Shahidi was Prince's personal photographer from 2001 to 2011. "Prince: A Private View" is a collection of photographs and recollections from Shahidi.
by MPR News Staff

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In 'Vacationland,' John Hodgman turns his pen on himself

In 'Vacationland,' John Hodgman turns his pen on himself

John Hodgman's past few books have been jokey compendiums of fake knowledge, but with Vacationland he's getting a little realer with an achingly funny chronicle of his metamorphosis into middle age.
by Jason Heller

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