Featured

Colored Time

by American Artist | Dec 4, 2019

Colored Time

by American Artist | Dec 4, 2019

American Artist discusses science fiction in the context of contemporary art and the concept of “Colored Time.”

Teaching with Contemporary Art

Extending Beyond Craftsmanship, into Inquiry and Exploration

by Dana Helwick | Dec 4, 2019

Teaching with Contemporary Art

Extending Beyond Craftsmanship, into Inquiry and Exploration

by Dana Helwick | Dec 4, 2019

Dana Joy Helwick explains how, and why, she uses contemporary artists as role models in her classroom.

Horror, Contemporary Art, and Film: In Conversation with Dan Herschlein and Chad Laird

by Art21 | Dec 4, 2019

Horror, Contemporary Art, and Film: In Conversation with Dan Herschlein and Chad Laird

by Art21 | Dec 4, 2019

New York Close Up artist Dan Herschlein, and professor, Chad Laird, discuss the intersection of contemporary art, film and horror.

The Intrinsic Openness of the Hive Mind

by Avram Finkelstein | Sep 12, 2019

The Intrinsic Openness of the Hive Mind

by Avram Finkelstein | Sep 12, 2019

Writer, artist and activist Avram Finkelstein reflects on the Science=Death movement, image commons, and the strength of the collective voice.

Teaching with Contemporary Art

Creating a Platform for New Voices

by Marie Elcin | Sep 12, 2019

Teaching with Contemporary Art

Creating a Platform for New Voices

by Marie Elcin | Sep 12, 2019

Art21 Educator, Marie Elcin, describes the impact of the social practice artworks and being inspired by the work of Mel Chin.

Francis Alÿs: A Moment of Collective Complicity

by Art21 | Sep 12, 2019

Francis Alÿs: A Moment of Collective Complicity

by Art21 | Sep 12, 2019

Francis Alÿs discusses the unexpected circumstances during the production of his collaborative film Don’t Cross the Bridge Before You Get to the River (2008).

This Week in Art

Baltimore Children Get Silk-Screening Lesson from Mark Bradford, Mary Mattingly Takes Over BRIC & More

by Anna Burckhardt | Sep 24, 2018

This Week in Art

Baltimore Children Get Silk-Screening Lesson from Mark Bradford, Mary Mattingly Takes Over BRIC & More

by Anna Burckhardt | Sep 24, 2018

A look at this this week’s art news, including Mark Bradford’s new community-centered project in Baltimore.

Whose Speech? Artists, Activists, & Being Heard: A Conversation Between Stephanie Syjuco & Astria Suparak

by Astria Suparak and Stephanie Syjuco | Sep 19, 2018

Whose Speech? Artists, Activists, & Being Heard: A Conversation Between Stephanie Syjuco & Astria Suparak

by Astria Suparak and Stephanie Syjuco | Sep 19, 2018

In this special extended interview, artist Stephanie Syjuco and curator Astria Suparak discuss the role of speech and protest in contemporary art and how working as women of color affects their ability to be heard.

Another Country

by Heather Hart and Jina Valentine | Sep 14, 2018

Another Country

by Heather Hart and Jina Valentine | Sep 14, 2018

Thirteen summers since the original convening of the Black Lunch Table (BLT), the project’s founders Heather Hart and Jina Valentine reconvene many of the original participants to discuss the project’s history and evolution and consider its future trajectory.

This Week in Art

“Art in the Twenty-First Century” Premieres Next Week, Laleh Khorramian Gets Mad at Art & More

by Anna Burckhardt | Sep 10, 2018

This Week in Art

“Art in the Twenty-First Century” Premieres Next Week, Laleh Khorramian Gets Mad at Art & More

by Anna Burckhardt | Sep 10, 2018

A look at this week’s art news, including the latest season of the Art21 broadcast series “Art in the Twenty-First Century” premiering on PBS next week.

Teaching with Contemporary Art

The Power of Words

by Jeannine Bardo | Sep 7, 2018

Teaching with Contemporary Art

The Power of Words

by Jeannine Bardo | Sep 7, 2018

Educator-in-Residence Jeannine Bardo shares her unit plan on language, in which students investigate the power of text through art.

This Week in Art

Martin Puryear to Represent the U.S. in Venice, Cuban Artists Speak Out & Doris Salcedo’s “Counter-Monument”

by Anna Burckhardt | Aug 27, 2018

This Week in Art

Martin Puryear to Represent the U.S. in Venice, Cuban Artists Speak Out & Doris Salcedo’s “Counter-Monument”

by Anna Burckhardt | Aug 27, 2018

A look at this week’s art news, including the recent announcement of Martin Puryear as the artist selected to represent the United States in the upcoming 2019 Venice Biennale.

On Fables

by Dmitry Vilensky | Aug 20, 2018

On Fables

by Dmitry Vilensky | Aug 20, 2018

Russian collective Chto Delat debates a contemporary repurposing of fables as a potential means of activating the process of self-questioning and a common search for the truth.

Strategies & Resources

Finding Room in the Classroom for Every Voice

by Jeannine Bardo | Aug 20, 2018

Strategies & Resources

Finding Room in the Classroom for Every Voice

by Jeannine Bardo | Aug 20, 2018

Educator-in-Residence Jeannine Bardo introduces lessons from her third-grade unit on “Home,” in which students’ research is centered on facets of their community: themselves, their family, and their friends.

Letter from the Editor

Figures of Speech

by Tina Kukielski | Aug 20, 2018

Letter from the Editor

Figures of Speech

by Tina Kukielski | Aug 20, 2018

Art21 executive director and chief curator Tina Kukielski introduces the new issue, “Figures of Speech,” examining the capacity of art for self-expression, community building, and political activism in 2018.

This Week in Art

Ai Weiwei’s Studio Demolished by Chinese Authorities, El Anatsui to Drape the Carnegie Museum, & More

by Anna Burckhardt | Aug 13, 2018

This Week in Art

Ai Weiwei’s Studio Demolished by Chinese Authorities, El Anatsui to Drape the Carnegie Museum, & More

by Anna Burckhardt | Aug 13, 2018

A look at this week’s art news, including Ai Weiwei’s studio being demolished by Chinese authorities and El Anatsui’s new installation for the 57th Carnegie International.

This Week in Art

Yinka Shonibare’s “American Library,” The Whitney Goes Outside its Comfort Zone & More

by Anna Burckhardt | Jul 30, 2018

This Week in Art

Yinka Shonibare’s “American Library,” The Whitney Goes Outside its Comfort Zone & More

by Anna Burckhardt | Jul 30, 2018

A look at this week’s art news, including Yinka Shonibare’s new installation for the FRONT International Cleveland Triennial, “The American Library.”

This Week in Art

Mel Chin Submerges Times Square, Collier Schorr Talks Fashion & More

by Anna Burckhardt | Jul 16, 2018

This Week in Art

Mel Chin Submerges Times Square, Collier Schorr Talks Fashion & More

by Anna Burckhardt | Jul 16, 2018

A look at this week’s art news, including Mel Chin’s new installation in Times Square, which uses augmented reality to submerge viewers underwater.

Access to Healthcare: A Conversation Led by LaToya Ruby Frazier

by LaToya Ruby Frazier | Jul 6, 2018

Access to Healthcare: A Conversation Led by LaToya Ruby Frazier

by LaToya Ruby Frazier | Jul 6, 2018

At Gavin Brown’s enterprise in Harlem, LaToya Ruby Frazier leads a panel discussion with a scholar, a minister, and a doctor on the state of access and equity in healthcare, the history of artists and intellectuals who have fought for these rights in the past, and change-makers who are leading the charge today.

This Week in Art

Olafur Eliasson Partners with IKEA, Graciela Iturbide Works Acquired by MFA Boston, & Hayv Kahraman on Immigration

by Anna Burckhardt | Jul 2, 2018

This Week in Art

Olafur Eliasson Partners with IKEA, Graciela Iturbide Works Acquired by MFA Boston, & Hayv Kahraman on Immigration

by Anna Burckhardt | Jul 2, 2018

A look at this week’s art news, including Olafur Eliasson’s new sustainability partnership with IKEA, the 2018 winners of the Young Architects Program, and thirteen artists responding to the subject of immigration through their work.

Being a Collection

by Ruthie Stringer | Jun 29, 2018

Being a Collection

by Ruthie Stringer | Jun 29, 2018

Ruthie Stringer, part of the Braddock-based art collective Transformazium, explains the methodology driving the group’s library-based projects, including the Neighborhood Print Shop and Art Lending Collection.

This Week in Art

Theaster Gates’ “Black Madonna” in Basel, Pedro Reyes on Puppets, & Artists Raised on the Internet

by Rachel Heidenry | Jun 18, 2018

This Week in Art

Theaster Gates’ “Black Madonna” in Basel, Pedro Reyes on Puppets, & Artists Raised on the Internet

by Rachel Heidenry | Jun 18, 2018

A look at this week’s art news, including Theaster Gates’ new exhibition in Basel, in which the artist has transformed exhibition spaces into active sites of creative production.

Teaching with Contemporary Art

Rooted in the Home: Thoughts on Building Connections Between Students & Artists

by Jocelyn Salaz | Jun 13, 2018

Teaching with Contemporary Art

Rooted in the Home: Thoughts on Building Connections Between Students & Artists

by Jocelyn Salaz | Jun 13, 2018

Educator-in-Residence Jocelyn Salaz offers insight into how incorporating familiar aesthetics can help students identify with artists.

A Look Inside “Creative Growth Magazine”

by Tom di Maria | Jun 8, 2018

A Look Inside “Creative Growth Magazine”

by Tom di Maria | Jun 8, 2018

A look inside the pages of “Creative Growth Magazine,” a first-of-its-kind publication presenting the work and lives of artists with disabilities, in the words of the artists themselves.

This Week in Art

For Freedoms Launches the 50 State Initiative, Nick Cave Takes Over the Park Avenue Armory, & More

by Rachel Heidenry | Jun 4, 2018

This Week in Art

For Freedoms Launches the 50 State Initiative, Nick Cave Takes Over the Park Avenue Armory, & More

by Rachel Heidenry | Jun 4, 2018

A look at this week’s art news, including a new public art initiative launched by the artist-run Super PAC For Freedoms, and a new participatory performance series by Nick Cave.

This Week in Art

Havana’s #00Bienal, Contemporary Artists on Climate Change, & Tania Bruguera’s Artivism

by Rachel Heidenry | May 21, 2018

This Week in Art

Havana’s #00Bienal, Contemporary Artists on Climate Change, & Tania Bruguera’s Artivism

by Rachel Heidenry | May 21, 2018

A look at this week’s art news, including the successful closing of Cuba’s first independent art biennial, and a new exhibition at Storm King Art Center on climate change.

Exodus and Arrival in “Pre-Image: Blind as the Mother Tongue”

by Hiwa K | May 11, 2018

Exodus and Arrival in “Pre-Image: Blind as the Mother Tongue”

by Hiwa K | May 11, 2018

Hiwa K recounts his experience fleeing Iraq in this excerpt from the artist’s 2017 video piece, “Pre-Image: Blind as the Mother Tongue.”

This Week in Art

New Season of “Art in the Twenty-First Century,” Diana Al-Hadid’s First Public Art Project & More

by Rachel Heidenry | May 7, 2018

This Week in Art

New Season of “Art in the Twenty-First Century,” Diana Al-Hadid’s First Public Art Project & More

by Rachel Heidenry | May 7, 2018

A look at this week’s art news, including the new season of “Art in the Twenty-First Century” announced last week, Diana Al-Hadid’s upcoming public art project, and more.

This Week in Art

Caroline Woolard & Pedro Reyes Work with Refugee Communities, New Jack Whitten Exhibition in Baltimore & More

by Rachel Heidenry | Apr 23, 2018

This Week in Art

Caroline Woolard & Pedro Reyes Work with Refugee Communities, New Jack Whitten Exhibition in Baltimore & More

by Rachel Heidenry | Apr 23, 2018

A look at this week’s art news, including Caroline Woolard and Pedro Reyes’ recent contributions to the Cincinnati nonprofit Wave Pool, whose Welcome Editions project invites artists to design a limited edition art object and work with local refugee and immigrant women to fabricate the pieces.

Resisting Dichotomies & Compressing Complexity: An Interview with Jack Whitten

by Ian Forster | Apr 16, 2018

Resisting Dichotomies & Compressing Complexity: An Interview with Jack Whitten

by Ian Forster | Apr 16, 2018

Interviewed in his Queens, New York studio in October 2017, Jack Whitten reflects on his childhood, the inequality he faced as a Black artist, and the necessity of fighting simplistic dichotomies.

Strategies & Resources

Who Am I, in Color?

by Jocelyn Salaz | Apr 16, 2018

Strategies & Resources

Who Am I, in Color?

by Jocelyn Salaz | Apr 16, 2018

Educator-in-Residence Jocelyn Salaz lays out the elements of her unit on color, in which students make their own paints, study color theory, and investigate the implications of skin tone.

Letter from the Editor

Rights of Passage

by Tina Kukielski | Apr 16, 2018

Letter from the Editor

Rights of Passage

by Tina Kukielski | Apr 16, 2018

Art21 executive director and chief curator Tina Kukielski introduces the spring issue, reflecting on the importance of access to culture and the power of art and artists to expand access to healthcare, education, and more.

Educator Spotlight

Art21 Educator Spotlight: Jocelyn Salaz

by Art21 | Apr 11, 2018

Educator Spotlight

Art21 Educator Spotlight: Jocelyn Salaz

by Art21 | Apr 11, 2018

Meet Art21 Educator Jocelyn Salaz, and learn how she’s exposing her students to a diversity of thought and approach by incorporating contemporary art practices in the classroom.

This Week in Art

Mel Chin Takes Over New York City, Theaster Gates Talks Sculpture & More

by Rachel Heidenry | Apr 9, 2018

This Week in Art

Mel Chin Takes Over New York City, Theaster Gates Talks Sculpture & More

by Rachel Heidenry | Apr 9, 2018

A look at this week’s art news, including Mel Chin’s new retrospective at the Queens Museum, and thoughts from a recent talk by Theaster Gates on sculpture and art’s potential for the future.

Artist Introspectives

The Most Public of Private Spaces

by Ahmed Mater | Mar 30, 2018

Artist Introspectives

The Most Public of Private Spaces

by Ahmed Mater | Mar 30, 2018

Artist Ahmed Mater discusses the influence of the public and public space on his powerful portraits of the Islamic world.

This Week in Art

Rob Pruitt’s “The Church,” Trevor Paglen’s Flag, and Joan Jonas’s Tate Modern Retrospective

by Jacquelyn Gleisner | Mar 26, 2018

This Week in Art

Rob Pruitt’s “The Church,” Trevor Paglen’s Flag, and Joan Jonas’s Tate Modern Retrospective

by Jacquelyn Gleisner | Mar 26, 2018

A look at this week’s art news, including “Rob Pruitt: The Church,” a solo exhibition and space for ongoing community engagement investigating the intersection of religion and public spaces.