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.

Fitzgerald didn't satisfy this author, so she wrote her own 'Gatsby'-inspired novel
Stephanie Powell Watts' 'No One Is Coming to Save Us' isn't quite a retelling of 'The Great Gatsby'; instead, it uses similar themes to tell a story about black characters in a declining furniture town.
Poetry Friday: War, water and migration
To celebrate National Poetry Month, we are showcasing weekly poems from Graywolf Press, Milkweed Editions and Coffee House Press.
Classical rap: Dessa meets the MN Orchestra
The hip-hop artist says the transition feels like moving from a wakeboard to a destroyer.
At 92, director Peter Brook engages the world
Battlefield," now starting a brief run at the Guthrie, tells a story that's millennia old, and as fresh as this week's news.
Sculptor of Wall Street bull says 'Fearless Girl' horns in on his work
Arturo Di Modica is not happy that the Fearless Girl now staring down his Charging Bull has effectively turned it into a villain. He and his lawyer are now asking that the new statue be removed.
All roads lead back to Florida in 'Sunshine State'
Sarah Gerard's lucid, atmospheric essay collection draws on her experiences growing up in Florida for a candid memoir that mixes first-person memories with thoughtful big-picture reporting.
File this under nostalgia: New book pays tribute to the library card catalog
Today, people use the antique wooden cabinets to store their knick-knacks. But these card catalogs once held the keys to a world of information. A new Library of Congress book explores their history.
File this under nostalgia: New book pays tribute to the library card catalog
Today, people use the antique wooden cabinets to store their knick-knacks. But these card catalogs once held the keys to a world of information. A new Library of Congress book explores their history.
Art Hounds: 350 movies, a music festival and Emily Dickinson
This week on Art Hounds: the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival, the Midwest Music Fest and a marathon reading of Emily Dickinson's poetry.
Trump's win changed the game for publishers on the left and the right
For years, conservative publishers thrived as their readers flocked to books aimed directly at taking down the party in power. Now, with Republicans in control, they have to rethink their strategy.