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.

A favorite in waiting: Alison Bechdel's 'Dykes To Watch Out For'
Alison Bechdel is one of the few cartoonists who appears twice on our list of 100 favorite comics and graphic novels -- but many readers overlooked her beloved cult strip "Dykes To Watch Out For."
Queen, with Lambert in for Mercury, playing the X
Original guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor are joined by lead singer Adam Lambert, who was the runner-up on season 8 of "American Idol."
Glory days over for Minnesota's historic music studios?
Minnesota's long enjoyed a reputation as one of the best spots off the coasts to tap music production talent and technology. But that legacy industry is facing immense competitive pressure as the business changes.
Aspen Ideas Festival: StoryCorps founder David Isay on the importance of listening
Four hundred thousand people people have recorded their stories for radio and the Library of Congress via StoryCorps and Isay says it's important to tell the truth about who we are as human beings, in order to reduce fear and increase hope.
If Thoreau were alive, he'd be 'shouting from the rafters,' biographer says
Henry David Thoreau, author of Walden and Civil Disobedience, was born 200 years ago in 1817. Biographer Kevin Dann says the philosopher's ideas about individual sovereignty remain relevant today.
Art Hounds: Puppeteers from around the world hang out in St. Paul
This week on Art Hounds: the National Puppetry Festival, a new opera about the mother of Martin Luther King Jr., and the Rolling River Music Festival.