art:21 art in the twenty-first century

	Art21 Season 5:  Preview Screening Free for all teachers** Thursday Oct 1, 2009 3:30-5:50 at Mt Hope High School’s Library 199 Chestnut St. Bristol RI **Professional Development Credits available for $20.00 non-members and free for RIAEA members

A preview screening of Art21 Season 5 will be held Thursday Oct 1^st, 3:30-5:30 at Mt Hope High School. This preview is sponsored by the Rhode Island Art Education Association and Mt Hope High School.  Teachers may earn RIDE professional development credits and will have the opportunity to see a variety of Art21 educational resource materials and high school art assignments based on past Art21 seasons.  Over the last 4 Seasons, some of the interdisciplinary topics addressed in these artists’ works include: ecology, time, stories, identity, loss, power, memory, and systems. Teachers of Social Studies, English, History, Art, Science and Math will find connections to their disciplines and are invited to attend. Participants will have the opportunity to also browse through resources from Art21 Seasons 1- 4. These resources include Educators Guides developed by PBS for use with high school to adult audiences.  RIAEA Board members and Bristol residents Christine Mullen, mullenc@bw.k12.ri.us and Kirsten Sorenson will be hosting the workshop. Please contact Mrs. Mullen if you have any questions about the event.

Art:21–Art in the Twenty-First Century, the Peabody Award-winning biennial series produced by the contemporary art organization Art21, provides viewers a unique look at today’s artists when it returns to PBS for its fifth season in October 2009. In its most international season to date, Art21’s four-part series reveals artists’ perspectives on current affairs, politics, economics, history and popular culture, as well as showcases the artists’ working processes and their studios. The artists span five continents and include such legendary figures as Jeff Koons, Cindy Sherman, John Baldessari, Carrie Mae Weems and William Kentridge. For the first time ever, the series is presented in high definition and made available, beyond broadcast, in its entirety on-line via Hulu, iTunes and other digital platforms.

Season Five of Art:21–Art in the Twenty-First Century will premiere on Wednesday, October 7 at 10:00 p.m. (ET) on PBS, with three additional one-hour episodes airing over the next three consecutive Wednesdays: October 14, 21 and 28 (check local listings). Each show will focus on one of the following themes: Compassion, Fantasy, Transformation, and Systems. Through in-depth profiles and dynamic behind-the-scenes footage featuring artists speaking directly about their inspirations and ideas, Season Five shows a broad range of artistic practice, technical innovation, and experimentation. Fourteen internationally recognized artists, from painters and sculptors to photographers and artists exploring the possibilities of new media, were filmed in their own environments and in their own words.

To coincide with the Season Five broadcast, Art21 will launch a redesigned look for the organization's web site (www.art21.org). The site will encourage visitors to explore exclusive video content, related materials on featured artists, a growing archive of resources for educators, and thematic investigations that consider the role of contemporary art within broader culture. Viewers and fans of Art21 may access frequent updates about featured artists and the broader scope of contemporary art by visiting the Art21 blog (blog.art21.org). Fans are also invited to share ideas with Art21 on Facebook (facebook.com/art21) or Twitter (twitter.com/art21). A companion web site (pbs.org/art21) complements the series, providing an accessible gateway to discover the world of contemporary art through 86 artists and 20 episodes across five seasons.