New Two-Hour Special CELEBRATING NYC-ARTS Premieres 12/13

Each week NYC-ARTS provides arts lovers with an all-access pass to the city's extensive cultural offerings. THIRTEEN's weekly arts and culture multi-platform showcase for the tri-state area is co-hosted by New York Emmy Award winners Philippe de Montebello and Paula Zahn, with events around town reported by News Correspondent Christina Ha. The series showcases both world-renowned and local, community-based arts organizations.

Now, for the first-time-ever, the series is presenting an expanded, two-hour special, CELEBRATING NYC-ARTS, premiering on Tuesday, December 13 at 8 p.m. on THIRTEEN, Monday, December 19 at 8 p.m. on WLIW21 and Sunday, December 18 at 9 p.m., and providing viewers with even more insight into New York City's UNRIVALED community of artists, performers and cultural events.

"WNET has had a longstanding commitment to providing viewers with unparalleled access to the City's arts and culture community, and NYC-ARTS is centerpiece of that commitment," said Neal Shapiro, President & CEO of WNET. "Now in its eighth season, NYC-ARTS' ongoing coverage of the artists and institutions has become a valuable resource for both arts lovers and arts organizations. We regularly hear from viewers who are inspired by the work they see and artists and organizations that have seen increased interest in their work, both of which are core to our mission of Media with Impact."

CELEBRATING NYC-ARTS features a collection of new segments as well as encores of previously aired favorites.

Holiday segments include a look at the classic story "Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol," via the original manuscript now on view at The Morgan Library & Museum. The special will also bring viewers inside the American Museum of Natural History for a look at the Origami Holiday Tree, which has been a New York City holiday tradition for more than 40 years.

Profile segments include Amar Ramasar, principal dancer with the New York City Ballet; Zahn's conversation with Adam Weinberg, Director of the Whitney Museum of American Art; the Martha Graham Dance Company; de Montebello's conversation with the co-curators of the exhibition "Jerusalem 1000-1400: Every People Under Heaven;" and Zahn's conversation with Alan Gilbert, Music Director of the New York Philharmonic.

Other segments include the exhibition "Modern Heroics: 75 Years of African-American Expressionism" on view at the Newark Museum; "Porcelain, No Simple Matter: Arlene Shechet and the Arnhold Collection" exhibition on view at The Frick Collection; and a look at the extensive holdings of American art in the galleries of the Brooklyn Museum.

Correspondent Christina Ha, based at the New-York Historical Society, reports on events around town including "The Battle of Brooklyn," "Holiday Express: Toys and Trains from the Jerni Collection," and "First Jewish Americans: Freedom and Culture in the New World" currently on view there as well as:

Various holiday performances including the New York City Ballet's "George Balanchine's The Nutcracker®," BAM's "The Hard Nut," NJPAC's "The Hip Hop Nutcracker;" and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performances at the New York City Center.

the "Crochet Coral Reef: TOXIC SEAS" exhibition at the Museum of Arts and Design

the "Mierle Laderman Ukeles: Maintenance Art" exhibition at the Queens Museum

"Mother Africa: My Home" at the New Victory Theater

"Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812" at the Imperial Theatre.

NYC-ARTS is a production of THIRTEEN Productions LLC in association with WNET, one of America's most prolific and respected public media providers.

Executive Producer: David Horn. Editorial Director: Joan Hershey. Supervising Producer: Mitch Owgang. Senior Producer: Bob Morris. For the digital platforms, General Manager: Dan Greenberg. Director of Digital Strategy: Joe Harrell.

NYC-ARTS is made possible in part by First Republic Bank. Major funding for NYC-ARTS is also made possible by Rosalind P. Walter, the Kate W. Cassidy Foundation, the Jean Dubinsky Appleton Estate, Jody and John Arnhold, Ellen and James S. Marcus, The Lewis "Sonny" Turner Fund for Dance, Elise Jaffe and Jeffrey Brown, The Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, and Elroy and Terry Krumholz Foundation. This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Additional funding provided by members of THIRTEEN.

Visit the NYC-ARTS Web site at NYC-ARTS.org for additional information.