NEW YORK.-Explore contemporary art in your community and make valuable connections to local institutions and resources by taking part in one of Art21’s piloting outreach initiatives. To inspire broad participation, Art21 will offer a limited number of incentive grants and free Art:21 materials. Online project toolkits containing publicity aids, planning materials, and educational resources will be available for download upon registration at www.art21.org later this summer.

EMAIL YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION TO OUTREACH@ART21.ORG TO RECEIVE THE CALL FOR PROPOSALS.

NEW PILOT PROGRAMS FOR 2006...

YOUTH ENGAGEMENT introduces teens, educators, and their communities to contemporary art. Pilot partners participating in this initiative will submit creative ideas for using the Art:21 series to provoke thought and discussion. A wide range of after-school programs and other youth-focused organizations will plan screening events, discussion forums, and hands-on activities for student, parent, and teacher audiences.

MUSEUM + LIBRARY PARTNERSHIPS encourages collaboration between local cultural institutions. Exploring contemporary art from visual and literary perspectives, the initiative focuses on specific thematic episodes from the Art:21 series. Local museums and libraries will partner to host a series of public programs, workshops, and other activities. Events are tailored for adult, family, and youth audiences, and encourage an interdisciplinary approach to navigating the art of today.

ONGOING INITIATIVES...

Independent Screenings - Art21 extends an open invitation for organizations and individuals to host their own Art:21 screenings. In keeping with Art21’s participatory model, partners are encouraged to include discussion forums or other interactive components in their event. Programming ideas and past examples can be found at

http://www.pbs.org/art21/events/screenings/index.html. Online screening toolkits for all 12 episodes of the series will be downloadable later this summer.

COMING SUMMER 2007 - SEASON FOUR PREVIEW SCREENINGS

Mark your calendars!

To celebrate Art:21’s Season Four broadcast, museums, schools, community-based organizations, and individuals host preview events before the season premiere to inspire new audiences and alert local communities about the broadcast. Almost 200 organizations in all 50 states and 6 different countries participated in Art21’s Season Three preview screening initiative.