Want to know what it’s like inside the studio of Hank Willis Thomas’s studio? What about Amy Sherald, or Christine Sun Kim?
This April, viewers can get a glimpse inside the creative processes and studios of some of the world’s most prominent artists when the 11th season of Art21’s flagship series, , premieres on PBS. One-hour episodes will be released over the course of 2023 organized by the themes “Everyday Icons,” “Bodies of Knowledge,” and “Friends & Strangers.”
The full roster of creatives participating in the new season include an impressive list of news-making artists: Tauba Auerbach, Linda Goode Bryant, Alex Da Corte, Guerrilla Girls, Miranda July, Christine Sun Kim, Daniel Lind-Ramos, Cannupa Hanska Luger, Amy Sherald, Rose B. Simpson, Hank Willis Thomas, and Anicka Yi.
Daniel Lind Ramos at work in his studio. Image Courtesy of Art21 and PBS.
The first episode, debuting on Friday, April 7 at 10 p.m. EST, is called “Everyday Icons” and features Amy Sherald, who was commissioned to capture the likeness of both former First Lady Michelle Obama and the late Breonna Taylor; Alex Da Corte, who brought a sculpture of Big Bird perched atop an Alexander Calder-esque mobile to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s rooftop garden; sculptor and 2021 MacArthur “Genius” Grant awardee Daniel Lind Ramos; and sculptor Rose B. Simpson, whose first solo exhibition with Jack Shainman Gallery is slated to open on February 23.
“When we began thinking about how to frame this latest season of , we considered our current historical moment and decided to turn the lens inward and focus on the United States,” executive director and chief curator of Art21 Tina Kukielski said in a statement. “We see artists as leaders of change, and in this first episode, we wanted to highlight artists who challenge and question American monuments and iconography.”
