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.

February 12, 2017 1:47 PM

Grammy-winning jazz singer Al Jarreau dies at 76

Grammy-winning jazz singer Al Jarreau has died in a Los Angeles hospital just days after announcing his retirement from touring due to exhaustion.

by Associated Press

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February 11, 2017 6:00 AM

What it's like to have -- and lose -- a sister

Bookseller Sarah Bagby recommends Sheila Kohler's memoir about her close bond with her older sister, and choices and events that separated them.

by Tracy Mumford

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February 11, 2017 12:00 AM

Fires burn -- at a distance -- in unnerving 'Separation'

Katie Kitamura's new novel follows an unnamed narrator who tails her estranged, disappeared husband to Greece -- while keeping the ominous surroundings and disquieting emotions at a cool remove.

by Annalisa Quinn

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February 10, 2017 12:24 PM

George Saunders re-imagines a president's grief with 'Lincoln in the Bardo'

The acclaimed short-story writer sets his first novel in the cemetery where 11-year-old Willie Lincoln was buried. Critic Maureen Corrigan calls Lincoln in the Bardo "searing, inventive and bizarre."

by Maureen Corrigan

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February 10, 2017 10:46 AM

John Oliver on facts, Donald Trump and the Supreme Court for dogs

In an NPR interview, the comedian talks about why facts matter more to him as a comedian than the president he's about to lampoon. Oliver's Last Week Tonight returns for a new season on HBO Sunday.

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February 10, 2017 8:55 AM

The Clash recorded a classic 40 years ago

Forty years ago, the Clash began recording their first album. It's considered a punk classic and one of the greatest records of the rock era.

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February 10, 2017 4:00 AM

When writing about a gay detective felt 'like I was writing science fiction'

Ellen Hart published her first mystery novel in 1989, featuring a gay detective, Jane Lawless. It was such a stretch for some people that "it felt like I was writing science fiction," Hart said.

by Tracy Mumford