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.

March 20, 2017 9:02 AM

Lyrics for Spice Girls hit 'Wannabe' took just 30 minutes to write

The hit, about value of female friendships, was no. 1 on the U.S. pop chart 20 years ago.

by MPR News Staff

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March 20, 2017 8:48 AM

In '2140,' New York may be underwater, but it's still home

Kim Stanley Robinson envisions a future that's closer than we like to think in 'New York 2140.' Sea levels 50 feet higher have swamped Manhattan, but there's a tiny thread of hope that we might float.

by Genevieve Valentine

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March 19, 2017 10:08 AM

Jimmy Breslin, chronicler of wise guys and underdogs, dies

Breslin was a fixture for decades in New York journalism, notably with the New York Daily News.

by Associated Press

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March 18, 2017 5:51 PM

Rock 'n' roll legend Chuck Berry dies at 90

Berry hit the Top 10 in 1955 with "Maybellene" and went on to influence generations of musicians. Among his other hits were "Johnny B. Goode" and "Roll Over Beethoven."

by Associated Press

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March 18, 2017 6:00 AM

The story of 'The Other Einstein': His wife

Bookseller Jodi Smits fell in love with the historical novel that delves into the life Albert Einstein's first wife, Mitza Maric.

by Tracy Mumford

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March 17, 2017 12:22 PM

'Swimmer Among the Stars' infuses relics with resonance

Kanishk Tharoor's collection of short stories explores the complicated relationship between language and technology. Tharoor's rich voice and immaculate craftsmanship both comfort and unnerve.

by Jason Heller

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March 17, 2017 11:25 AM

Derek Walcott, who wrote of Caribbean beauty and bondage, dies at 87

The Nobel Prize winner celebrated his Caribbean homeland and described its brutal colonial history. "You didn't make yourself a poet," he said. "You entered a situation in which there was poetry."

by Tom Vitale