RIT Presents Advance Screening of Peabody Award-Winning Documentary Art:21, Oct. 8

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Stephen White

Black Gold II acrylic paint on wall, by Yinka Shonibare

Rochester Institute of Technology presents a sneak preview of the fifth season of the PBS documentary Art:21—Art in the Twenty-First Century, the prime-time national television series focused exclusively on contemporary art.

The advance screening will feature a preview of selections of four contemporary artists profiled in season five of Art:21. The artists are Carrie Mae Weems, Yinka Shonibare, John Baldessari and Florian Maier-Aichen.

The screening is 4 p.m. Oct. 8 in the Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science auditorium, Building 76, on the RIT campus. Following the screening there will be a panel discussion among RIT professors/artists. The event is free and open to the public.

Art:21 Access ’09 is an international screening initiative created to increase knowledge of contemporary art, ignite dialogue and inspire creative thinking through hundreds of public screenings and events that tailor the ideas presented in the series to the interests and concerns of local audiences. The season of Art:21 premieres on PBS Oct. 7 with a new episode at 10 p.m. each Wednesday. Through in-depth profiles and interviews, the four-part series reveals the inspiration, vision and techniques behind the creative works of some of today’s most thought-provoking artists.

As part of the sneak preview, RIT artists/professors of various backgrounds will participate in a panel discussion following the screening. The panel participants are Angela Kelly, associate professor and coordinator of the Imaging Arts MFA in RIT’s School of Photographic Arts and Sciences, Jessica Lieberman, assistant professor in RIT’s fine arts department, Alex Miokovic, adjunct faculty member in RIT’s foundations department, Oscar Palacio, assistant professor in RIT’s School of Photographic Arts and Sciences, Chip Sheffield, associate professor in RIT’s foundations department, and Carla Williams, assistant professor in RIT’s School of Photographic Arts and Sciences.

“Art:21 Access ’09 draws the Art:21 television-viewing audience together in communities around the world and provides a wonderfully enhanced Art:21 experience,” says Susan Sollins, executive producer of Art:21. “We hope that audiences will take full advantage of the events in their area and develop an understanding of the complex skills, techniques and knowledge that artists bring to their work. Our goal is that these events contribute to boosting the confidence of audiences worldwide to view and appreciate all art forms.”

Over the past 10 years, Art:21 has established itself as the preeminent chroniclers of contemporary art and artists through its Peabody Award-winning biennial television series Art:21—Art in the Twenty-First Century. The organization has used the power of digital media to expose millions of people of all ages to contemporary art and artists and has created a new paradigm for teaching and learning about the creative process. For more information, visit the art21 website.