Nationwide, the arts faced massive challenges in 2025: federal budget cuts, censorship, artificial intelligence, the constant competition for audiences’ attention. 

And yet here in Minnesota, artists have done what they’ve always done: make art, respond to the world around them, find meaning, carve pathways of hope, build resilience and most of all, stir the heart with beauty. 

Here are ten moments of wonder I experienced covering the arts in Minnesota in 2025. 

Leslie Parker: ‘An Experiment Part II’ and an open rehearsal

I saw dancer Leslie Parker perform twice in 2025, which means I got double the captivating energy she brings to the stage. After interviewing Parker about her Black Dance Improvisation project in March, I saw her June solo performance at the Cedar Cultural Center with a live band led by bassist Melvin Gibbs. It was somewhat of a preview of a work in development titled “LoverRoot,” part of her Jerome@Camago residency in Cassis, France. Spiritual and sensual, the piece showed the artist at the height of her powers.

Then in July, Parker performed an open rehearsal of the work at Northrop’s Hubbard Broadcasting Rehearsal Studio. I found myself surprised, shocked and transfixed at the informal showing, especially her dance to a hip hop remix of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”

Ifrah Mansour: ‘Weaving Abundance’

For a feature about Ifrah Mansour’s “Weaving Abundance,” part of an artist residency project in state and regional parks, I biked 26 miles from my home in Minneapolis to Thompson Park in West Saint Paul. There, I discovered Mansour’s mystical eggs placed amid the park’s tall grass. Later, I had the chance to tour Mansour’s studio at the Coliseum Building on Lake Street, where the artist was working on sculptures that blended weaving, papier-mâché, bamboo and found materials to create meditative works inviting the viewer to contemplate the abundance of the natural world. The work compelled me not only in its beauty but its ambition to connect to the spirit.

Terence Blanchard: ‘Fire Shut Up in My Bones’

Composer and trumpet player Terence Blanchard accomplished a stunning feat with his concert version of an opera based on journalist Charles M. Blow’s memoir about his traumatic childhood. Playing with the Turtle Island Quartet and opera singers Will Liverman and Adrienne Danrich, Blanchard’s E-Collective performed the jazz-infused work with rich emotion and energy. The evening also featured excerpts from Blanchard’s thrilling Grammy-winning album, “Flow.”

Peter Geye: ‘A Lesser Light’

I found myself completely engrossed by Peter Geye’s novel about a lighthouse keeper in northern Minnesota at the turn of the 20th century. With poignant character development, expert pacing and a masterful sense of place, “A Lesser Light” gave me a sense of awe for the great Lake Superior. 

Julie Buffalohead: ‘Travois’

Visual artist Julie Buffalohead has a knack for work that opens up personal vulnerabilities while grasping the social and political moment. In a 2025 exhibition at Minneapolis’ Dreamsong gallery, her blend of personal narrative with Ponca mythology, using intriguing textures and layers, made for a riveting show. I also loved the dress she made as part of the exhibition, “Ancestral (Honga),” which juxtaposed a violent history of removal with beautiful craftsmanship. 

Theater Mu: ‘Maybe You Could Love Me’

It’s a good sign when, after watching a play, I feel the need to talk about it. After watching “Maybe You Could Love Me,” I sought out anyone and everyone I knew who had seen it so that we could discuss it. There were things about the show that made me uncomfortable, but not in a bad way. It was more like playwright Samah Meghjee was able to tease out challenging topics that surrounded her characters, two queer Muslim women in an intimate relationship. Katie Bradley’s direction was masterful, and I was thrilled with the performances, especially the expressive agility of Ashembaga Jaafaru. 

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: ‘The Wild God Tour’

Nick Cave is a transcendent performer, channeling what feels like an otherworldly power in songs that dance the line between nihilism and grace. Watching him play with his band, the Bad Seeds, felt like attending an alternative revivalist meeting. “Nothing really matters,” he sang in “I Need You.” The response came almost reflexively: “Just breathe.” 

Edward Burtynsky: ‘Water’

I was in Winona for a feature on Anne George’s new art gallery, THIS, when I decided to pop into one of my favorite museums in the state, the Minnesota Marine Art Museum. I found myself rapt by an exhibition of vibrant aerial photographs by Edward Burtynsky documenting human disruptions of nature. His digital chromogenic color prints look like abstract paintings at times, until you look closely. They capture the dizzying patterns of nature and society, and the oftentimes disastrous repercussions when they mix. 

Zorongo Flamenco Dance Theatre and Flying Foot Forum with Katha Dance Theatre: ‘Time Piece’ 

Zorongo Flamenco Dance Theatre, Katha Dance Theatre and Flying Foot Forum all incorporate a percussive element in their movement styles, even as they work in different traditions. For a work called “Dandelions: A Sojourn through the 4 Seasons in 13 Scenes,” part of an evening of work called “Time Piece,” the companies all contributed, trading choreographers. Mixing up dancers from the different companies throughout the different scenes, the work celebrated the abundant talent of each as they celebrated the four seasons. 

‘Purple Rain’ 

Was the Broadway-bound musical theater version of “Purple Rain” perfect? It had some issues. And yet looking back at the theater I saw in 2025, I have such a happy feeling having seen the production. Its idiosyncrasies made up part of its charm, much like the original movie. Kris Kollins was absolutely mesmerizing as he channeled Prince’s singing and dancing. I have no idea what’s next for that musical, but I, for one, felt like it aptly celebrated our local hero. 

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