 October 7, 2009
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Season 5 Premieres Tonight on PBS
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The wait is over--Season 5 of Art:21--Art in the Twenty-First Century is here! The new season begins tonight on PBS at 10:00 p.m. ET (check local listings) with the episode Compassion, featuring William Kentridge, Doris Salcedo, and Carrie Mae Weems.
Might a work of art move us to temper our more destructive impulses? In
what ways do artists' feelings of empathy contribute to works that
tackle problematic subjects and address the human condition? Compassion explores these questions
in the work of the three featured artists.
Be sure to tune in to PBS every Wednesday at 10:00 p.m. throughout October (check local listings) for more brand new episodes: Fantasy, featuring Cao Fei, Mary Heilmann, Jeff Koons, and Florian Maier-Aichen; Transformation, featuring Paul McCarthy, Cindy Sherman, and Yinka Shonibare MBE; and Systems, featuring John Baldessari, Kimsooja, Allan McCollum, and Julie Mehretu.
Read more about Season 5 at PBS, and visit ArtBabble for previews of all Season 5 episodes and artist segments.
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| Susan Sollins, Executive Producer and Curator, on NewsHour |
Art21 Executive Producer and Curator, Susan Sollins, recently spoke to Jeffrey Brown, arts correspondent for the PBS Online NewsHour. Watch the exclusive interview on the NewsHour's Art Beat blog.
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National Arts and Humanities Month
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October is National Arts and Humanities Month (NAHM), and we are proud to be the official partner for the month-long celebration. Coordinated by Americans for the Arts, NAHM is a nationwide effort that promotes the importance of arts and culture in our daily lives. Visit the official Web site for more information about the month's festivities, including details on how to join the celebration.
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Art21 Access '09: Highlights
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Art21 Access '09 events are in full swing, with over 100 events have taken place since September 28 at venues across the world. Over 500 more events will take place throughout the rest of October. Here are some highlights from the first week of events:
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art; Bentonville, AR; October 2
At a preview screening of the Compassion hour, an audience of 55 included everyone from college students to seniors. Three panelists: Shelley Buonaiuto, sculptor and activist with the Omni Center for Peace, Social Justice and Ecology; Bethany Springer, sculptor, Homeless Project artist, and assistant professor of art at the University of Arkansas; and Carol Cooper, watercolor artist, instructor and coordinator of the Art Department at Northwest Arkansas Community College led a follow-up discussion on contemporary art and the subject of compassion.
Columbia College; Chicago, IL; October 1
More than 70 people came together for a screening of the Compassion episode. As a response to the episodes, participating students will write summaries of the artists shown and analyze the pieces and the themes they saw in the episode. The students who saw the episode were particularly interested in the themes of race and conflict apparent in Salcedo's and Weems's work.
Chazen Museum of Art; Madison, WI; October 1
55 people, including students and the general public, came to a screening of Compassion. Afterwards there was a lively discussion that continued past the allotted time into private conversations. Works by William Kentridge from the museum collection were highlighted during the episode. The discussion revolved around the themes of "bad times produce good art," whether the current world and economic situation will inspire artists to create, and how the social and political consciousness of contemporary art makes it distinct. The Chazen Museum, along with other Access '09 venues in Madison, are involved in a petition to the city to make October Contemporary Art Month in Madison, in part as a response to Art21 Access '09 programming.
Art21 Access '09 events continue throughout October. Interested in attending an event? Visit the Art21 Access '09 site to find an event near you.
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Art21 Events in New York City
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| After Tuesday night's event at the New York Public Library with Allan McCollum and Josiah McElheny, Art21 will present two more exclusive New York City events in October, which will include conversations with artists from Season 5, as well as preview screenings of Art:21--Art in the
Twenty-First Century segments. All events are FREE and open to the public. |
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Meet the Artist: Florian Maier-Aichen
Friday, October 9, 7:00 p.m.
Apple Store SoHo - 103 Prince Street
FREE
Art:21 Season 5 artist Florian Maier-Aichen will share how he uses the
computer to manipulate his photography to create stunning digitally
abstracted images. The event will feature an advanced screening of
Maier-Aichen's segment from the episode, Fantasy, along with a moderated discussion and Q&A with
Maier-Aichen and Art21 Associate Curator, Wesley Miller.
Seating is provided on a first come, first serve basis. |
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A Conversation with Carrie Mae Weems and Patricia J. Williams
Thursday, October 15, 7 p.m.
Columbia University - Jerome Green Hall, Room 102 / West 116th Street between Amsterdam Ave and Morningside
Dr.
FREE. To register and reserve a seat, please visit www.neighbors.columbia.edu
Join Season 5-featured artist Carrie Mae Weems and Patricia J.
Williams, the James L. Dohr Professor of Law at Columbia University, in
conversation as they explore critical issues of race, history, and
memory through the artist's work, making connections to current
cultural and political events of our time. A screening of Carrie Mae
Weems's segment from the episode Compassion will precede the conversation.
This event is co-presented by Art21 and The Studio Museum in Harlem. The event is hosted by Columbia University, Office of Government and Community Affairs.
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Watch Now: Full Episodes Available Online
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Full episodes from Seasons 1 through 4--16 episodes total--are now available for instant viewing through the PBS Video Portal.
Season 5 episodes will be added throughout October for a limited period of viewing. Each episode will be posted to the PBS Video Portal on the morning after the national broadcast, every Thursday in October.
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Season 5 Educators' Guide Available Now
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The fifth in the series of Art21 Educators' Guides is now available in anticipation of our Season 5 broadcast during October.
The Season 5 Educators' Guide is a FREE 32-page full color
companion to the broadcast that provides additional background
information about each of the 14 artists and 4 themes featured in the
new season. The guide is available as a downloadable PDF, and for a limited time, in print. Visit our site to request a print version request a print version of the new guide or to obtain guides for previous seasons.
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Season 5 Products: Pre-order Today, 21% Discount
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Season 5 Companion Book
At 224 pages, with more than 400 illustrations, the Season 5 Companion Book
features interviews with the artists and an essay by Art21 Executive
Producer and Curator Susan Sollins. Edited by Marybeth Sollins. Learn more about the book on art21.org.
DVD and Blu-ray
In addition to the standard DVD, Season 5 will also be available as a high-definition Blu-ray disc.
ShopPBS.org is offering a special discount to Art:21 viewers for all purchases. Enter the code ART21SHOP at checkout to receive 21% off your entire order. Offer valid through 12/31/09.
Season 5 products are available for pre-order through ShopPBS.org.
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Support for Art21 and Season 5
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Major underwriting for Season Five of Art:21-Art in the Twenty-First Century and its accompanying education programs has been provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, Agnes Gund, Bloomberg, The Nathan Cummings Foundation, the Public Broadcasting Service, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, and by individual contributions to Art21. Support for the production of "Jeff Koons" has been provided by The Broad Art Foundation; support for the production of "Kimsooja" has been provided by the Korea Foundation.
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Want to do more?
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Art21 is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization; all donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Donations to Art21 support the production of Art21's PBS series, multimedia and internet-based education resources, film archive, and public programs. |
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