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.

Heart and Hearth: An MPR News special broadcast
As nights remain cold and daylight is meager, nothing sounds better than warming by a fire with loved ones. Help celebrate this time of year with “Heart and Hearth,” a special broadcast from MPR News.
St. Francis school board gets pushback on controversial book buying plan
Board members in the district north of the Twin Cities are under pressure to rethink their plan to use a conservative website to help choose books to buy for school libraries. Their superintendent warns it would violate state law. The school board chair says the ACLU may intervene.
Longtime Minnesota blues band faces uncertainty after front man suffers stroke
The Lamont Cranston Band has been playing at venues across the state and country since 1969. Front man Pat “Lamont” Hayes had a stroke in December, putting the band’s future in limbo.
Christopher Bollen unleashes ‘Havoc’ with his new thriller
Is 81-year-old Maggie Burkhardt on a mission or mercy? Or is her meddling a sign of something more sinister? And what happens when she meets her match in the the form of a demented eight-year-old boy? Christopher Bollen’s deliciously tense “Havoc” lets it all unspool.
The ’Beyoncé Bowl’ halftime show was a massive hit for Netflix. The football was too
Netflix says more than 200 countries tuned into the “Beyoncé Bowl” and its two NFL games. We may just be starting to learn what that ultimately means for the future of television and sports media.
The 41 best books MPR News staff read in 2024
From a submarine survival adventure during World War II to an exploration of the dark side of a Catholic convent on the Irish countryside, our staff has wide-ranging taste for their favorite book they read in 2024.