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.

'Strange Practice:' The doctor is in
In "Strange Practice," Vivian Shaw kicks off a new series about Dr. Greta Helsing, descendant of the famous Professor Abraham Van Helsing and general practitioner to the ghouls and ghasts of London.
Today's Morning Edition music is from the British rapper Skepta with his new single "Hypocrisy."
The enduring legacy of Jane Austen's 'truth universally acknowledged'
Linguist Geoff Nunberg describes the opening sentence to "Pride and Prejudice" as a "masterpiece of indirection" that is frequently repurposed, but whose irony is never matched.
A veteran TV news anchor pens a prescient novel in 'Amanda Wakes Up'
Alisyn Camerota's book is about a political newcomer fresh from Hollywood facing off against a female senator. But 2016 similarities aside, the CNN anchor says she wrote it long before the election.
Today's Morning Edition music is from "Bye Bye Love" by the Everly Brothers which was number one on the Billboard country chart 60 years ago today.
'Caesar's Last Breath' is a breezy history of our atmosphere
Sam Kean's funny, conversational new book reminds us not to take the air we breathe for granted -- our atmosphere can tell stories about everything from dinosaurs and Julius Caesar to space flight.
Yes, some comics are for kids -- and they're big business
What's the best way to get people reading comics? Hook 'em young. And comics for early readers are booming -- even big publishers like DC, famed for grim and gritty, are getting in on the action.