Contemporary artists describe their work and discuss why and how they do it. The programs are grouped according to themes of place, spirituality, identity and consumption.
A PBS series, educational resource, archive, and history of contemporary art, Art21: Art in the Twenty-First Century premiered in 2001 and is now broadcast in over 50 countries worldwide. Premiering a new season every two years, Art21 is the only series on United States television to focus exclusively on contemporary visual art and artists.
| Title | Air Date | Duration | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | Episode 1 | Place | 2001-09-21 | 60 min |
| Season 1 | Episode 2 | Identity | 2001-09-28 | 60 min |
| Season 1 | Episode 3 | Spirituality | 2001-10-05 | 60 min |
| Season 1 | Episode 4 | Consumption | 2001-10-12 | 60 min |
| Season 2 | Episode 1 | Stories | 2003-09-09 | 60 min |
| Season 2 | Episode 2 | Loss & Desire | 2003-09-09 | 60 min |
| Season 2 | Episode 3 | Humor | 2003-09-10 | 60 min |
| Season 2 | Episode 4 | Time | 2003-09-10 | 60 min |
| Season 3 | Episode 1 | Power | 2005-09-16 | 60 min |
| Season 3 | Episode 2 | Memory | 2005-09-23 | 60 min |
| Season 3 | Episode 3 | Structures | 2005-09-30 | 60 min |
| Season 3 | Episode 4 | Play | 2005-10-07 | 60 min |
| Season 4 | Episode 1 | Romance | 2007-10-28 | 60 min |
| Season 4 | Episode 2 | Protest | 2007-11-04 | 60 min |
| Season 4 | Episode 3 | Ecology | 2007-11-11 | 60 min |
| Season 4 | Episode 4 | Paradox | 2007-11-18 | 60 min |
| Season 5 | Episode 1 | Compassion | 2009-10-07 | 60 min |
| Season 5 | Episode 2 | Fantasy | 2009-10-14 | 60 min |
| Season 5 | Episode 3 | Transformation | 2009-10-21 | 60 min |
| Season 5 | Episode 4 | Systems | 2009-10-28 | 60 min |
| Season 6 | Episode 1 | Change | 2012-04-13 | 60 min |
| Season 6 | Episode 2 | Boundaries | 2012-04-20 | 60 min |
| Season 6 | Episode 3 | History | 2012-04-27 | 60 min |
| Season 6 | Episode 4 | Balance | 2012-05-04 | 60 min |
| Season 7 | Episode 1 | Investigation | 2014-10-24 | 60 min |
| Season 7 | Episode 2 | Secrets | 2014-10-31 | 60 min |
| Season 7 | Episode 3 | Legacy | 2014-11-07 | 60 min |
| Season 7 | Episode 4 | Fiction | 2014-11-14 | 60 min |
| Season 8 | Episode 1 | Chicago | 2016-09-16 | 60 min |
| Season 8 | Episode 2 | Mexico City | 2016-09-16 | 60 min |
| Season 8 | Episode 3 | Los Angeles | 2016-09-23 | 60 min |
| Season 8 | Episode 4 | Vancouver | 2016-09-23 | 60 min |
| Season 9 | Episode 1 | Berlin | 2018-09-21 | 60 min |
| Season 9 | Episode 2 | Johannesburg | 2018-09-21 | 60 min |
| Season 9 | Episode 3 | San Francisco Bay Area | 2018-09-28 | 60 min |
| Season 10 | Episode 1 | London | 2020-09-18 | 60 min |
| Season 10 | Episode 2 | Beijing | 2020-09-25 | 60 min |
| Season 10 | Episode 3 | Borderlands | 2020-10-02 | 60 min |
| Season 11 | Episode 1 | Everyday Icons | 2023-04-07 | 60 min |
| Season 11 | Episode 2 | Bodies of Knowledge | 2023-06-23 | 60 min |
| Season 11 | Episode 3 | Friends & Strangers | 2023-10-20 | 60 min |
