art21 (2001)

TV-PG

Documentary

Overview

The first series on television in the U.S. to focus exclusively on contemporary visual art and artists, "Art in the Twenty-First Century" is a Peabody Award-winning biennial program that allows viewers to observe the artists at work, watch as they transform inspiration into art, and hear how they struggle with both the physical and visual challenges of achieving their visions. "Art in the Twenty-First Century" airs on PBS and online in the U.S. Full episodes are available to watch on Art21.org and YouTube.

Susan SollinsCreator
Susan DowlingCreator

StatusReturning Series

TypeDocumentary

Original LanguageEnglish

Network

Seasons

Season 1

2001 | 4 Episodes

Season 1 of art21 premiered on September 21, 2001

Season 2

2003 | 4 Episodes

Season 2 of art21 premiered on September 9, 2003

Season 3

2005 | 4 Episodes

Season 3 of art21 premiered on September 16, 2005

Season 4

2007 | 4 Episodes

Season 4 of art21 premiered on October 28, 2007

Season 5

2009 | 4 Episodes

Season 5 of art21 premiered on October 7, 2009

Season 6

2012 | 4 Episodes

Season 6 of art21 premiered on April 13, 2012

Season 7

2014 | 4 Episodes

Season 7 of art21 premiered on October 24, 2014

Season 8

2016 | 4 Episodes

Season 8 of art21 premiered on September 16, 2016

Season 8 provides unparalleled access to the most innovative artists of our time, revealing how artists engage the culture around them and how art allows viewers to see the world in new ways. For the first time in the show’s history, the sixteen featured artists are grouped into four one-hour episodes by their unique and revealing relationships to the places in which they live—Chicago, Los Angeles, Mexico City, and Vancouver.

Season 9

2018 | 3 Episodes

Season 9 of art21 premiered on September 21, 2018

Season 9 charts art-making in three urban centers across three continents: Berlin, Johannesburg, and the San Francisco Bay Area. From the post-Cold War cultural and economic rebirth in Berlin, to the dramatic fall of apartheid in South Africa and the technological boom in the Bay Area, the twelve artists and one non-profit art center highlighted in this season respond to the forces that have shaped the places where they live and work, while pursuing their personal visions for a better future.

Season 10

2020 | 3 Episodes

Season 10 of art21 premiered on September 18, 2020

In season 10, twelve artists and one collective are presented across three episodes, charting artmaking in London, Beijing, and regions around the United States-Mexico border.

Season 11

2023 | 3 Episodes

Season 11 of art21 premiered on April 7, 2023

Season 12

2025 | 2 Episodes

Season 12 of art21 premiered on October 17, 2025

Season 12 of Art in the Twenty-First Century features twelve of today’s most acclaimed contemporary artists as they use art to address the pressing questions of our time. Viewers observe the artists at work, watch as they transform inspiration into art, and hear how they struggle with both the physical and aesthetic challenges of achieving their visions. This landmark season builds upon a quarter century of shaping how audiences experience art and artists today.

Casts