Art21

Art21 Celebrating 25 years as an independent, non-profit contemporary art organization and producer of a Peabody Award-winning broadcast series.
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Producers of films on contemporary art and artists—including the Peabody award-winning PBS series, "Art in the Twenty-First Century"—as well as media, educational resources and programs, and more.

18/08/2026

NEW this week from Art21 → “Jordan Strafer’s True Stories”

“I’m not interested in finding the truth,” the artist says. “I’m trying to find the spaces around truth.”

Jordan Strafer’s video artworks are an improbable combination of surrealist humor and critical engagement. Her elaborate reenactments of personal experiences and historical events draw inspiration from various corners of American culture, from daytime talk shows to televised trials to 1990s-era erotic thrillers.

Watch the full film TOMORROW, August 19, 2026 on YouTube and Art21.org → https://bit.ly/4g9n0Zn

17/08/2026

Remembering Mary Heilmann (1940–2026), whose candor and curiosity will continue to inspire artists of all ages.

"An artwork can transport a person in a soulful, rich way, without any fear of punishment."

In 2008, Art21 filmed Heilmann at work in her Long Island studio, where she explained the spiritual dimension of her art. Imbued with memories, stories spun from her imagination, and references to music, pop culture, and dreams, her paintings function like meditations or icons, she said.

Learn more about Mary Heilmann's life and career → https://art21.org/artist/mary-heilmann/

12/08/2026

Painting with a child on your leg.

🎞️ Edited from never-before-seen interview footage from the . To see Elizabeth Murray in full Art21 films and episodes, visit art21.org/elizabethmurray.

Archival images c/o: © 2026 The Murray-Holman Family Trust / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Learn how to use Art21 resources to teach with big questions and big ideas! During this session we will explore the work...
11/08/2026

Learn how to use Art21 resources to teach with big questions and big ideas!

During this session we will explore the work of artists including Janine Antoni and Kevin Beasley.

Art21 Educator Workshop: How to Teach Contemporary Art
Thursday, August 13, 2026
4:00 p.m. ET
Virtual Program

Register → https://bit.ly/4g96mt5

07/08/2026

Art that physically hurts to look at.

Artist Sable Elyse Smith incorporates text vignettes and poetic fragments about antiblack police violence into large neon works.

With its steady hum and intense glow, the neon functions as a metaphor for the institutional powers that are painful to confront, yet remain a constant underlying presence in society.

“You have to stop and stare to read it, and in that slowness, the light becomes oppressive,” she explains.

Watch "Sable Elyse Smith: Turn Things Over" for free → https://bit.ly/4z24eMs

05/08/2026

A Ferris wheel made out of prison furniture.

“Sometimes, to empower people to look more closely, something else needs to happen,” artist Sable Elyse Smith says of her sculptures made from materials originally intended for prison visiting rooms.

Through pieces resembling playground structures and Ferris wheels, Smith depicts the criminal justice system as an unwinnable game and endless cycle.

"Sable Elyse Smith: Turn Things Over" premieres TODAY. Watch for free → https://bit.ly/4wHImEs

03/08/2026

Haimy Assefa explains how directing "Precious Okoyomon's Creative Destruction" changed the way she looks at cuteness.

"I hope that the film allows people to interrogate that as well."

Watch the "Precious Okoyomon's Creative Destruction" for free → https://bit.ly/4yPOITt

How can educators empower students through contemporary artists who address disability and elevate representation? Explo...
02/08/2026

How can educators empower students through contemporary artists who address disability and elevate representation?

Explore this question in a virtual workshop led by Art21 Educator Debra Shushan through the work of artists like Hannah Levy and Yinka Shonibare.

Disability and Contemporary Art with Debra Shushan
Wednesday, August 5, 2026
4:00 pm E.T.

Register here → https://bit.ly/4wxIIO0

Art21 wants to hear from YOU! 🧑‍💻 🧑‍🎨 📝Alongside sharing new films, we are exploring new content and creating more oppor...
01/08/2026

Art21 wants to hear from YOU! 🧑‍💻 🧑‍🎨 📝

Alongside sharing new films, we are exploring new content and creating more opportunities for our community to engage with us and our work.

Please complete our quick 5-minute survey to share your feedback with us. As a thank you, you will receive a 15% discount to the Art21 Shop upon completion.

Take the survey → https://bit.ly/4boX8r1

31/07/2026

NEW on Art21 next week → "Sable Elyse Smith: Turn Things Over"

“My impulse is to make and turn things over and use materials and images to process the world and communicate,” the artist explains.

Since she was a child, Sable Elyse Smith has been driven by the instinct to take things apart and discover how they work, and now applies her analytical curiosity to the machinery of incarceration.

"Sable Elyse Smith: Turn Things Over" premieres August 5, 2026 on Art21.org and YouTube.

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