April 25, 2012 - The Guthrie's 2012 -13 season features 12-productions on its two larger stages. All are written by white men, and only one show will have a female director, staging the production as a co-director. And, as some of Minnesota's arts leaders continue to react to the decisions of the region's largest theater organization, we wanted to get reaction from the Guthrie's artistic director himself. Joe Dowling joins MPR news from Dublin, where he's traveling. He said scheduling any theater season requires balancing a lot of interests.
April 20, 2012 - The 2012 winner of the Laurence O'Shaughnessy prize for Irish poetry is Gerard Smyth. The prize is given annually by the Center for Irish Studies at the University of St. Thomas. Smyth is visiting the St. Thomas campus and stopped by MPR's studios. He shares a poem from his collection “The Fullness of Time” - and it includes a nod to Minnesota's own Robert Bly.
April 16, 2012 - MPR’s Marianne Combs reports on two of the Pulitzers announced that have Minnesota connections. Kevin Puts won a 2012 Pulitzer in Music for "Silent Night: Opera in Two Acts" that premiered at the Minnesota Opera. Also, poet Tracy K. Smith won a Pulitzer for "Life on Mars," published by Minneapolis' Graywolf Press.
April 11, 2012 - MPR’s Sasha Aslanian reports that faculty at William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul voted on a resolution to oppose the constitutional amendment that would define marriage as between one man and one woman, and prohibit same-sex couples from marrying.
March 30, 2012 - A photography exhibit at the Whittier Gallery in Minneapolis aims to showcase young Somali men who are improving the lives of others in the Twin Cities. MPR’s Nikki Tundel meets the Somali-American photographer, Mohamud Mumin, behind the exhibit and catches up with some of his subjects.
March 30, 2012 - On this episode of Minnesota Sounds and Voices, MPR’s Dan Olson explores the sounds of bagpiping with Mike Breidenbach, leader of the Macalester College Pipe Band. Olson also interviews members of pipe band.
February 14, 2012 - MPR’s Chris Roberts reports on formation of Minneapolis band, Poliça. Roberts talks with Ryan Olson, creator behind group, and numerous band members about album release "Give You the Ghost."
February 10, 2012 - On this episode of Minnesota Sounds and Voices, MPR’s Dan Olson talks with members of Mu Daiko, a St. Paul-based Japanese drumming ensemble. Iris Shiraishi and Rick Shiomi discuss the background and rudiments of music style.
October 17, 2011 - On this premiere episode of Minnesota Sounds and Voices, MPR’s Dan Olson interviews members of Messiah's Men, a choir group of men brought together by the shared experience of escaping their civil war-ravaged homeland of Liberia.
September 16, 2011 - The Twin Cities hip hop duo Villa Rosa stands out, as It features two emcees, Maria Isa and Muja Messiah, who both have established identities as solo artists. The male and female tandem share equally in songwriting duties, and that's something rare in rap. The pair talk with MPR’s Chris Roberts about their album "Blue Diamond Island."