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.

Cube Critics: Stay up to date with our weekly art and culture chats with MPR News’ Jacob Aloi, Alex V. Cipolle, Max Sparber, Aron Woldeslassie and guests. Listen to or read Cube Critics here

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.

New book tells how the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe defended its reservation and sovereignty
“They Would Not Be Moved: The Enduring Struggle of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe to Keep their Reservation” by historian and anthropologist Bruce White was published earlier this year by the Minnesota Historical Society Press. The book details the nearly 200-year fight by the tribal nation to maintain their land.
Minnesota-born comedian shares 'Tiny Pep Talks' for everyday struggles
Paula Skaggs’ new book, “Tiny Pep Talks,” co-written with Josh Linden, aims to gas us up for all the low-stakes situations in life where we might need a boost.
Critical DMs: Tomte at the American Swedish Institute
Max Sparber and Alex V. Cipolle explore the quirky, cozy and occasionally ominous Scandinavian traditions showcased in the American Swedish Institute's exhibition, "Tomte: the Gnome, the Myth, the Legend," touching on tomte's love of porridge, Santa's Sámi connections and reindeer-related marketing oddities.
’Wicked’ and ’Gladiator’ make gravity-defying theater debuts
 “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” have debuted in theaters with a combined $270 million in ticket sales. Their worldwide performance breathed fresh life into global box office results that have struggled lately. Together the films turned the moviegoing weekend into one of the busiest of the year.
Vacant no more: Artists, creatives move into empty storefronts for new Minneapolis initiative
The city of Minneapolis awarded five arts organizations subsidized leases through its Vibrant Storefronts Initiative, aiming to transform vacant downtown spaces near Loring Park into a creative cultural hub and address the affordable space crisis for artists.
‘Meant to be’: Four years later, Black Garnet Books owner is selling, to a friend 
Dionne Sims opened Black Garnet Books with a vision, to serve Minnesota in a time of healing. As she moves on, Terresa Moses is taking over as the new owner of the Black-owned bookstore.
Dr. Marty Makary on medicine's blind spots
Dr. Marty Makary says data misinterpretation and conventional thinking is not serving us well — and he wants to change that. His new book, “Blind Spots,” details when medicine got it wrong and then resisted making it right.
Woman to Woman: Artist Hend Al-Mansour celebrates women and Islamic art
Hend Al-Mansour’s new exhibition, “Contain Me,” opening Nov. 23 at SOO Visual Art Center in Minneapolis, celebrates Khadijah and Hafsah, wives of the Prophet Muhammad, through kaleidoscopic video animations and painted illustrations that honor their influence on early Islam while reclaiming Al-Mansour’s place as a woman in Islamic art.