Madison, Wisconsin—Five Madison arts organizations have come together to present community screenings of the Peabody Award–winning biennial series Art:21—Art in the Twenty-First Century. Art:21 is the only prime-time national television program focused exclusively on contemporary art. Season 5 features the episodes Compassion, Fantasy, Transformation, and Systems. During October, the Chazen Museum of Art, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA), and Wisconsin Academy’s James Watrous Gallery, in conjunction with the Madison Arts Commission and Overture Center for the Arts, will screen all four hour-long episodes. Contemporary art experts will lead open discussions following the screenings. These community events offer art lovers accessible and social occasions to learn about and discuss the works, insights, and methods of contemporary artists.

The screening schedule is:

Thursday, October 1, 5:30 pm, Compassion, Chazen Museum of Art (room L140). Post-screening discussion with Barbara C. Buenger, professor of art history, and Michael Jay McClure, assistant professor of art and art history, UW–Madison
Thursday, October 15, 5:30 pm, Transformation, MMoCA (auditorium). Post-screening discussion with Jane Simon, curator of exhibitions
Thursday, October 22, 5:30 pm, Systems, Chazen Museum of Art (room L140). Post-screening discussion with Barbara C. Buenger, professor of art history, and Michael Jay McClure, assistant professor of art and art history, UW–Madison
Thursday, October 29, 5:30 pm, Fantasy, James Watrous Gallery (hosting at Rotunda Studio, Overture Center for the Arts). Introduced by Martha Glowacki, gallery co-director. A discussion will follow the screening.

Karin Wolf, Arts Program Administrator for the Madison Arts Commission, says “We are delighted to be a part of this model contemporary partnership between the Chazen Museum of Art, MMoCA, the James Watrous Gallery, and the Overture Center for the Arts. That these institutions maintain their commitment to free programming and access to the arts in these challenging economic times is a tribute to their commitment to this community.”

In season 5’s four-part series, audiences meet fourteen of today’s most accomplished artists, spanning five continents, as they create works that reflect important and timely global issues. Each episode is constructed around a theme that loosely connects the artists—as diverse as their histories, styles and mediums may be. In its most international season to date, Art:21 reveals artists’ perspectives on current affairs, politics, economics, history, and popular culture through in-depth profiles and dynamic behind-the-scenes footage of artists speaking directly about their inspirations and ideas. Season 5 shows a broad range of artistic practice, technical innovation, and experimentation, from artists who tackle large-scale collaborative projects in hangar-like studios to those work quietly in intimate studio settings.

These community events are presented by the Chazen Museum of Art, James Watrous Gallery, and MMoCA, in partnership with the Madison Arts Commission and Overture Center for the Arts. The events are part of Art21 Access ’09, a celebration of contemporary art and Season 5 of Art:21—Art in the Twenty-First Century sponsored by Art21. Art21 Access ’09 is held at over 300 museums, schools, libraries, art spaces, and community centers and is organized in collaboration with Americans for the Arts’ National Arts and Humanities Month. Visit art21.org for more information.

Season 5 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 the next three Wednesdays (October 14, 21, and 28). More information is available at www.pbs.org/art21. The series is produced by the contemporary arts organization Art21, which was founded in 1997 with the belief that contemporary visual art is of real interest and value to a broad audience. By making contemporary art more accessible through public television and the Internet, Art21 affords an intimate encounter with contemporary art and the people who make it, encouraging creative thinking and self-expression. The collaborating Madison arts organizations are pleased to support this mission by presenting these community events.