

Web series
art21
The first series on television in the U.S. to focus exclusively on contemporary visual art and artists, "Art in the Twenty-First Century" is a Peabody Award-winning biennial program that allows viewers to observe the artists at work, watch as they transform inspiration into art, and hear how they struggle with both the physical and visual challenges of achieving their visions. "Art in the Twenty-First Century" airs on PBS and online in the U.S. Full episodes are available to watch on Art21.org and YouTube.
- Status
- Returning Series
- Type
- Documentary
- Last aired
- 2026-02-11
- Language
- English
PBS
- art
- contemporary art
Seasons

Season 1
4 episodes · 2001
No season synopsis available yet.
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Season 2
4 episodes · 2003
No season synopsis available yet.
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Season 3
4 episodes · 2005
No season synopsis available yet.
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Season 4
4 episodes · 2007
No season synopsis available yet.
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Season 5
4 episodes · 2009
No season synopsis available yet.
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Season 6
4 episodes · 2012
No season synopsis available yet.
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Season 7
4 episodes · 2014
No season synopsis available yet.
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Season 8
4 episodes · 2016
Season 8 provides unparalleled access to the most innovative artists of our time, revealing how artists engage the culture around them and how art allows viewers to see the world in new ways. For the first time in the show’s history, the sixteen featured artists are grouped into four one-hour episodes by their unique and revealing relationships to the places in which they live—Chicago, Los Angeles, Mexico City, and Vancouver.
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Season 9
3 episodes · 2018
Season 9 charts art-making in three urban centers across three continents: Berlin, Johannesburg, and the San Francisco Bay Area. From the post-Cold War cultural and economic rebirth in Berlin, to the dramatic fall of apartheid in South Africa and the technological boom in the Bay Area, the twelve artists and one non-profit art center highlighted in this season respond to the forces that have shaped the places where they live and work, while pursuing their personal visions for a better future.
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Season 10
3 episodes · 2020
In season 10, twelve artists and one collective are presented across three episodes, charting artmaking in London, Beijing, and regions around the United States-Mexico border.
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Season 11
3 episodes · 2023
No season synopsis available yet.
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Season 12
2 episodes · 2025
Season 12 of Art in the Twenty-First Century features twelve of today’s most acclaimed contemporary artists as they use art to address the pressing questions of our time. Viewers observe the artists at work, watch as they transform inspiration into art, and hear how they struggle with both the physical and aesthetic challenges of achieving their visions. This landmark season builds upon a quarter century of shaping how audiences experience art and artists today.
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Top billed cast
Behind the camera
Produced in
United States of America
Where to watch
All optionsAvailability for United States. Provided by JustWatch through the TMDB API.
Gallery



Videos
Air dates
- First aired
- 2001-09-21
- Latest episode
- 2026-02-11
- Status
- Returning Series
- Next release
- In production
- Season 121 Sept 2001
- Season 29 Sept 2003
- Season 316 Sept 2005
- Season 428 Oct 2007
- Season 57 Oct 2009
- Season 613 Apr 2012
- Season 724 Oct 2014
- Season 816 Sept 2016
- Season 921 Sept 2018
- Season 1018 Sept 2020
- Season 117 Apr 2023
- Season 1217 Oct 2025
Frequently asked questions
art21 is streaming on PBS Living Amazon Channel, Thirteen, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies in India. Use the official Watch now links in the Where to watch section above.
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