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.

Elvis co-wrote his hit 'All Shook Up'
The song was No. 1 on the Billboard pop chart 60 years ago.
In 'Margot Sanchez,' a teen grows up and learns to love the Bronx
Instead of going to the beach with her prep school friends, Margot is stuck working at her father's supermarket in the Bronx. Lilliam Rivera says her YA novel was inspired by her own Bronx childhood.
In 'A King's Obsession,' Anne Boleyn's true love is power
Alison Weir takes a fresh look at familiar territory in this retelling of the story of Anne Boleyn. Weir's version of Anne is fiercely smart and guilty only of craving power that was hers by right.
We have always been bored -- 'Yawn' wonders why
Mary Mann's new book digs into a phenomenon as old as humanity: boredom. Why do we get bored? Is there a cure? 'Yawn' is a thoughtful read, but its mix of autobiography and scholarship doesn't jell.
Leaving high school behind for a dangerous life in 'A Good Country'
Laleh Khadivi's new novel traces the path of a young Muslim man in California, the son of strict Iranian immigrant parents, from his first bong hit at age 14 to his eventual radicalization.
Minnesota court confirms 6 Prince heirs, no will
A Minnesota court has determined that Prince's six siblings are the lawful heirs to his fortune and that the Minnesota music icon left no will before his death last year.
Elvis Costello's 'Alison' inspired by a real woman
In a 2015 autobiography, he explained that he wrote the song "after seeing a beautiful checkout girl at the local supermarket.
MN news quiz: IDs fixed. Grizzly flick. Feeling sick? Tick, tick, tick
Why is it so hard to find affordable housing in the Twin Cities? What's different about a Real ID versus what I have now? What's the tick outlook this summer? You have questions, MPR News has answers.