Art21 Kicks Off 'Summer of Shorts' Series Today with Avery Singer

Art21 has announced Summer of Shorts, a dynamic ten-week roll-out of exclusive new short films documenting the life and work of some of the most compelling contemporary artists working today: Meriem Bennani, Jordan Casteel, Stan Douglas, Theaster Gates, Liz Larner, Aki Sasamoto, Avery Singer, Jeff Wall, Chris Ware, and Caroline Woolard.

Starting today, June 2, through August 4, a new film will premiere every Friday on Art21.org and Art21's Youtube channel, establishing a broadcast cadence for the world's foremost destination for artist documentaries, free and available to the public. Summer of Shorts kicks off with a new film featuring artist Avery Singer. The weekly programming reflects the organization's focus on its digital platform.

Spread across two original Art21 film series, New York Close Up and Extended Play, viewers will have intimate access to artists' studios, and witness the creative processes of artists firsthand.

"This summer, we want viewers to know they can turn to Art21 for something fun and informative to watch every Friday where they can enjoy a few minutes behind-the-scenes with an artist," says Tina Kukielski, Art21 Executive Director and Chief Curator. "And because it's all free online, we encourage our audience to tune in wherever, whenever-- at the office or on the beach."

Art21's Summer of Shorts Schedule:

Friday, June 2 - Avery Singer (b. 1987, New York) - New York Close Up
Friday, June 9 - Theaster Gates (b. 1973, Chicago) - Extended Play
Friday, June 16 - Jordan Casteel (b. 1989, Denver) - New York Close Up
Friday, June 23 - Meriem Bennani (b. 1988, Rabat) - New York Close Up
Friday, June 30 - Jeff Wall (b. 1946, Vancouver) - Extended Play
Friday, July 7 - Stan Douglas (b. 1960, Vancouver) - Extended Play
Friday, July 14 - Aki Sasamoto (b. 1980, Yokohama) - New York Close Up
Friday, July 21 - Caroline Woolard (b. 1984, Providence) - New York Close Up
Friday, July 28 - Liz Larner (b. 1960, Sacramento) - Extended Play
Friday, August 4 - Chris Ware (b. 1967, Omaha) - Extended Play

New York Close Up: an original Art21 film series
Launched in 2011, Art21's New York Close Up profiles young artists living and working in New York City during the first decade of their career. Summer of Shorts launches today with a new New York Close Up episode featuring Avery Singer, and will introduce four additional artists to the series roster: Meriem Bennani, Jordan Casteel, Raúl de Nieves, and Aki Sasamoto.

This summer, viewers will be TAKEN inside spaces across New York City- a studio space in the Mott HAVEN neighborhood of the Bronx; the shores of Rockaway Beach; the streets of Harlem; a Dumpster warehouse in Queens; and institutions such as the Whitney Museum of American Art, The Kitchen, and UrbanGlass.

The series has profiled 30 artists to date, including Diana Al-Hadid, Lucas Blalock, Jamian Juliano-Villani, Kalup Linzy, Rashid Johnson, Keltie Ferris, LaToya Ruby Frazier, Mika Rottenberg, Jacolby Satterwhite, Erin Shirreff, and Mika Tajima, among others.

Extended Play: an original Art21 film series
Art21's Extended Play provides a behind-the-scenes look at critical moments in artist's processes and lives. Summer of Shorts includes five new Extended Play films featuring artists Stan Douglas, Theaster Gates, Liz Larner, Jeff Wall, and Chris Ware. Newly renamed, Extended Play is a refreshed version of the organization's longest-running digital series. Through process-revealing footage and intimate interviews, Extended Play uncovers the provocative ideas and biographical anecdotes that inspire an artist's work from conceptualization, to creation, to presentation.

The series launched in March 2008 under the title of Exclusive and was initially introduced as a digital complement to Art21's award-winning television series, Art in the Twenty-First Century. The series has featured nearly 100 artists to date, including Sarah Sze, William Kentridge, Do Ho Suh, Cindy Sherman, Nancy Spero, Gabriel Orozco, Jeff Koons, Mike Kelley, Andrea Zittel, and Carrie Mae Weems, among others.

In May 2014, Extended Play was the only series to provide an in-depth look at the process behind Kara Walker's monumental public project, A Subtlety, or the Marvelous Sugar Baby (2014)-filmed in the artist's studio and at the former site of the Domino Sugar Factory in Brooklyn, NY.

About Art21
Since 1997, Art21 has been a celebrated global leader in presenting thought-provoking and sophisticated content about contemporary art. It is the go-to place to learn first hand about the most interesting working artists today- from the artists themselves- and is responsible for introducing millions of people to contemporary art and artists. Founded on the belief that artists are role models for creative and critical thinking, Art21's mission aims to inspire a more creative and tolerant world through the works and words of contemporary artists.

Art21.org provides an unparalleled year-round, always-on look at working artists, a continuous digital presence for an organization that is widely recognized for a biennial television series. The Art21 video library houses over 50 hours of original video content-over 500 videos all open and free to the public. Reaching audiences of over 5 million a month, Art21's digital initiatives continue the organization's long-standing tradition of using the power of digital media to inspire audiences worldwide by exposing them to contemporary artists.

To date, Art21's short form films have had over 50 film festival acceptances across the world and have been nominated for a Webby Award and won a Cine Golden Eagle.

For more information, visit www.art21.org.