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.

Writer turned citizen scientist offers tips on living lightly to reduce your carbon footprint
Tamara Dean, author of “Shelter and Storm: At Home in the Driftless,” talks to MPR chief meteorologist Paul Huttner about climate change and rethinking the lifestyle choices we make to lower our carbon footprint but still live productive lives.
MN Shortlist: April 17-23
MN Shortlist is your weekly curated roundup of recommended events from MPR News, highlighting standout performances, exhibits and gatherings around the region.
Art Hounds: Puppets, comedy and Minnesota’s literary roots
This week, Art Hounds highlight Cherokee-language puppetry, a comedy showcase by Hmong and Asian American performers and a deep dive into Minnesota’s poetic past.
5 notable new books that are all over the map (in a good way)
These books confront readers with the recent past and distant future, bring them to southeastern Africa and an alternative Japan, and bedeck their pages with subversive cartoons and lush landscapes.
‘Buffy’ podcasters built a community — and they didn’t let divorce break it
“Buffering the Vampire Slayer” podcasters Jenny Owen Youngs and Kristin Russo write about their community of fans, and how it help them keep working together after a split, in “Slayers, Every One of Us.”
Do what you can. A new kids’ book shows how even ‘The Littlest Drop’ helps
A brave hummingbird does what she can to fight a fire in Sascha Alper’s new book. It was one of the last projects illustrator Jerry Pinkney worked on before he died. His son Brian finished it for him.
‘A big Minnesota moment in New York’: The Met announces exhibition of late artist George Morrison
The Metropolitan Museum of Art will open “The Magical City: George Morrison’s New York” on July 17, a significant solo exhibition of the Grand Portage Anishinaabe artist’s work and a rare presentation at a major institution outside Minnesota.
Mario Vargas Llosa, Nobel Prize-winning Peruvian author, dies at age 89
A giant of Latin American culture, Llosa used powerful imagery and sometimes fantastical storytelling to explore issues of male violence, societal disruption and authoritarian politics.
Booksellers across the country share their favorite books about hope 
Ask a Bookseller has been reaching out to independent booksellers across the country, and they’ve recommended books of hope and connection to others and to the planet.