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.

2017 Minnesota Book Award winners announced
The awards honored writers in nine categories, including children's literature, general nonfiction and genre fiction.
A book that offers 'healing to us as a human family'
Bookstore owner Akbar Watson rarely rereads books, but the news recently has him turning to an older favorite.
New exhibition marks 100th anniversary of America entering WWI
During World War I, 2 million American men would be shipped overseas to fight, and more than 100,000 would die. Back home, the U.S. was undergoing its own transformation. A new exhibit at the Minnesota History Center pays tribute to that turbulent time.
Jack Klatt to play in honor of Spider John Koerner
The Cactus Blossoms, Willie Murphy, Spider John himself and others will be performing at the show.
Poetry Friday: Landscape, chance and longing
To celebrate National Poetry Month, we are showcasing weekly poems from Graywolf Press, Milkweed Editions and Coffee House Press.
Music legend Spider John Koerner contemplates his legacy
A concert on Sunday will give young and old players the chance to pay their respects to, and play with, their musical hero.
'The Hello Girls' highlights the women who ran the WWI switchboards
A book published today, the 100th anniversary of America's entry into World War I, tells the story of "America's First Women Soldiers" who served as switchboard operators in the field.
'Tell Me How It Ends' offers a moving, humane portrait of child migrants
Valeria Luiselli's new book is based on her experiences working as an interpreter for Central American child migrants seeking entry to the U.S. Critic John Powers calls it "fair minded and expansive."
Don Rickles, king of insult comedy, dies at 90
Don Rickles, the big-mouthed, bald-headed "Mr. Warmth" whose verbal assaults endeared him to audiences and peers and made him the acknowledged grandmaster of insult comedy, died Thursday.