Episodes

Saint Paul’s Walker West Music Academy is thought to be the oldest community music school in the nation founded by Black musicians. Opened in the 1980s during turbulent times in the Selby/Dale neighborhood, Walker prides itself on offering affordable, accessible and high-quality music instruction. What makes Walker West so special is their emphasis on a particular style of music-making called the “Saint Paul Sound,” a high-energy synthesis of jazz, gospel and improvisation. KFAI’s Alison Young s...

Tristan Jurkovich grew up loving the outdoors, but he never thought he’d pass that love on to a new generation until he became a reluctant - at first - father figure to two young boys. This story was written and produced by Tristan Jurkovich. Erika Janik is the managing editor of MinneCulture. Support for MinneCulture comes from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Find more stories on our website: https://kfai.org/tag/minneculture/

Look around your car and try to count how many safety features there are: seat belt, a padded dashboard. And then there are the hidden ones: air bags, crumple zone, reflective stickers. Almost every part of a modern day car, from the volume knobs to the shape of the hood, is designed with safety in mind—but it wasn’t always that way. Though driving is still quite dangerous, it used to be worse, and back in the 1950s one University of Minnesota professor put his body on the line to make automobil...

Ojibwe singer-songwriter Keith Secola, known for his song "NDN Cars," has been earning national attention in recent years for his contributions to film and television, including songs he wrote for the hit show "Dark Winds." But Secola remains deeply connected to the Iron Range, where he grew up. KFAI’s Sheila Regan caught up with Secola to learn about his songwriting process and his collaboration with Rich Mattson of Sparta Sound in Gilbert, Minnesota. This story was written and produced by She...

Ojibwe singer-songwriter Keith Secola, known for his song "NDN Cars," has been earning national attention in recent years for his contributions to film and television, including songs he wrote for the hit show "Dark Winds." But Secola remains deeply connected to the Iron Range, where he grew up. KFAI’s Sheila Regan caught up with Secola to learn about his songwriting process and his collaboration with Rich Matteson of Sparta Sound in Gilbert, Minnesota. This story was written and produced by Sh...

Sisters Camelot is a collectively run nonprofit with a focus on sustainable living through food justice and waste reduction. They’ve been providing free groceries at food share sites since 1997. KFAI’s Rmay Rivard caught up with the volunteers on one of the pick-up days. This story was written and produced by Rmay Rivard. Erika Janik is the managing editor of MinneCulture. Support for MinneCulture comes from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

In the 19th century, the Minneapolis Industrial Expo, an event intended to rival the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul, made an impact on the history of Mexicans in the state. In 1886, the festival hosted 56 musicians from Mexico as headliners, and at least one of those musicians — Luis Garzon — ended up staying and becoming a community leader here. Meanwhile, Luis’s brother, Gabriel Garzon, and band leader Juan Macias, wrote tunes for the band that would be published as piano sheet music, the fi...

Minnesota is home to three distinct iron ranges, each with a rich history of immigration, industry, and outdoor recreation. KFAI’s Rmay Rivard takes us on a journey into the past and present of Minnesota’s iron range. This story was written and produced by Rmay Rivard. Erika Janik is the managing editor of MinneCulture. Support for MinneCulture on KFAI has been provided by the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund

When you picture the life of your favorite author you might imagine some elevated life of thought and sophistication—but that’s far from the case when they’re on a book tour, which can be relentless and stressful. Journalist Matthew Schneeman’s uncle Tim Hedges specializes in helping those authors get from A to B (and catch some Zzz’s) when they come to town. After thirty years of being a media escort, Tim has some pretty great stories to tell. This story was written and produced by Matthew Sch...

This June, thousands of athletes and fans came to Minneapolis to take part in the Special Olympics USA Games. The games are held every four years in cities around the country. As part of MinneCulture’s emerging producer program, reporter Daniel Hood caught up with a few members of Team Minnesota as they prepared to compete and at the big event. Learn more about Daniel on his website hoodwave.org This story was written and produced by Daniel Hood and Erika Janik. Erika Janik is the managing edi...

Many of us have dreamed about being a rock star at some point - to play the guitar or drums or to belt out songs with friends. But what if that wasn’t just a dream? What if you could play and perform your favorite artists’ songs on stage and make friends along the way? KFAI’s Angela Lundberg brings us the story of a camp where rock dreams become reality. This story was written, reported, and produced by Angela Lundberg. Erika Janik is the managing editor of MinneCulture. Support for MinneCult...

We have something special to share with you today - a story from the On Our Minds podcast and the PBS Student Reporting Lab. Reporter Divya Thamman brings us the story of a unique annual tradition in Minneapolis… in celebration of a pencil. And if you liked that story, check out this season of the On Our Minds podcast. It’s an audio road trip around the country featuring student reported stories about the drag scene in Missouri to finding wonder in the regularity of life at… a Dunkin Donuts in ...

On Monday nights, about seventy people gather in a Lutheran church in south Minneapolis to sing. They’re part of Kith + Kin Chorus, a rock-and-roll community choir open to singers of all backgrounds and musical experience levels. Maribeth Romslo takes us inside her first season with the choir. This story was written, reported, and produced by Maribeth Romslo. Erika Janik is the managing editor of MinneCulture. Support for MinneCulture on KFAI is provided by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Herit...

The White Earth reservation in northwestern Minnesota was created through a treaty with the federal government in 1867. The reservation was meant to be a space where the Anishinaabe people could be protected from white settlement. But within 50 years, timber companies had moved in and stripped the land bare. Producer John Gwinn brings us the story. This story was produced by John Gwinn and narrated by Deanne Standing Cloud. Erika Janik is the managing editor of MinneCulture. Support for MinneCu...

The film Harold and Maude is generally revered as a cult classic. But it wasn’t destined to be. In fact, it originally bombed at the box office. The film probably would have never made its way into popular culture until one theater in Minneapolis decided to book it. Producer Julie Censullo tells this story of how a neighborhood theater put this almost-forgotten film on the map. This story was written, reported, and produced by Julie Censullo. Erika Janik is the managing editor of MinneCulture. ...

South Minneapolis loves the May Day Cafe, a gathering spot rooted in coffee, pastries, and community. Last year, the workers converted the coffee shop into a worker-owned co-op. The co-op model is new to May Day but it isn’t new to Minneapolis, or even this neighborhood. Half a century ago, the very same storefront was home to the Powderhorn Food Community Cooperative. This co-op was part of the Minneapolis co-op movement of the 1970s, and one of many battlegrounds of the fabled co-op wars. KFA...

For nearly sixty years, one man’s disappearance haunted central Minnesota, a mystery fed by rumors, dead ends, and a river that never gave up its secret. Then, in the summer of 2025, the Mississippi finally did. What surfaced wasn’t just a car: it was the answer to a question that had lingered for generations. This is Submerged: The Roy Benn Case. This story was written, reported, and produced by Alison Young. Erika Janik is the managing editor of MinneCulture. Support for MinneCulture on KFAI...

When the Irish arrived in the brand new Minnesota territory, there were no cities waiting for them, no paved streets. Just prairie, timber, and a dream of opportunity. So they built. They built farms, carving 160-acre homesteads out of tallgrass and forest. They built communities, And at the center of it all they built a church in Jessenland. Kyle Shiely has the story of the oldest rural Irish community in Minnesota. This story was written and reported by Kyle Shiely with mixing from Noah Smi...

Stillwater Prison started publishing its own newspaper in 1887. All of it written, edited — even funded — by incarcerated people. It’s called The Prison Mirror. It was one of the country’s first prison papers. Today it’s one of the last. We’re taking you inside prison to hear writers past and present talk about what it’s like to cover the news behind bars. But first, you need the origin story. This story was written, reported, and produced by Michelle Bruch. Erika Janik is the managing editor o...

Season 10 of the MinneCulture podcast is coming April 9th. This season we are exploring a decades-long Minnesota cold case, the two-year run of the movie Harold and Maude at a Minneapolis theater, the oldest prison newspaper, and many more stories from across the state. Support for MinneCulture on KFAI is provided by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. For more stories like this check out the MInneculture tab on KFAI.org

What happens when you add electric guitar, high energy vocals, and upbeat percussion to your ballet? For ballet companies, they hope it adds up to a lot more people in the audience. An outgrowth of rock operas, rock ballets are reimagining the art form for a modern age. KFAI’s Sheila Regan has the story. This story was written and produced by Sheila Regan. Erika Janik is the Managing Editor of MinneCulture. Support for MinneCulture on KFAI is provided by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritag...

If you’ve ever driven on Snelling Avenue in St. Paul, down by Highland Park High School, you’ve probably seen the Highland Park Water Tower, even if you didn’t know it. Standing at 127 feet tall, it is a beautiful 1928 stone tower located on one of the highest points in St. Paul, making it the perfect place to store water, and see a unique view of the Twin Cities. Though it was decommissioned in 2017, the tower is open to the public twice a year – in July and October – so that everyone can exper...

Each year, the federal government holds a unique art competition with a very specific goal: to choose the most compelling original painting to become the next Federal Duck Stamp. Waterfowl hunters are required to purchase this stamp along with their hunting license. The revenue raised allows the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to buy and protect wetlands across the country. Over time, the contest has grown fiercely competitive. And this past year, Chaska artist Jim Hautman [rhymes with “caught-m...

In the 1990s for a brief four years, the radio station 93.7 The Edge popped up and imprinted itself onto the minds and hearts of many young Minnesotans who were aching for new music: The Cranberries, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and No Doubt. Radio back then wasn’t just a way to listen to music, but to discover music. The station also hosted EdgeFest, which forged even stronger memories. Every generation has a nostalgic love for the music of their youth and Edge fans are no different. KFAI’s Matthew Schn...