Subscribe to our newsletter to have these dispatches delivered straight to your inbox every week.
Close Encounters with Josephine Halvorson
In this 2012 New York Close Up film, Josephine Halvorson shares her extremely personal and contingent process of choosing a subject to paint.
“How do you make the conditions to have a really long uninterrupted time with something?” posits the artist.
“I would never spend twelve hours just standing in front of something. But I do because of painting. It’s the experience which feeds the painting, but it’s the painting which also feeds the experience.”
Close Encounters with Josephine Halvorson is among the twelve films included in Slow Unfolding Moments, a playlist of Art21 films featuring artists who find serenity in silence and ask us to press pause so we can find it too.
Your contributions help make our programming possible. Thank you for supporting our work.
Staff picks for things to watch, read, and hear
Watch: What We Do In the Shadows
A dear friend recommended this series and I will be forever grateful. It’s based on the 2014 film of the same name. Please watch! It’s absurdly funny, witty, and guaranteed to make you smile.
Shared by Lolita Fierro, Associate Director, Major Gifts and Special Events; Now streaming on Hulu (with subscription)
Listen: Paul Simon’s Concert in the Park
I’m finding live music immensely comforting right now—a nice reminder of the longevity of art. Plus, it’s nice to listen to people in another time having fun. Plus makes me feel NYC love. PLUS some insane percussion.
Shared by Meghan Garven, Development and Administrative Coordinator; Available now on your streaming platform of choice
Watch: CBS Sunday Morning’s Moment In Nature
With less traffic in the streets and fewer planes overhead, birds seem to make their presence known more easily. Instead of venturing outside to enjoy them, I’ve revisited the ongoing Moment in Nature segments from CBS Sunday Morning. They’re a momentary escape from man-made noise and an important reminder that life goes on.
Shared by Ian Forster, Producer; Watch now on YouTube
Distance learning tips from Art21 Educators
Educator Stacey Abramson, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, leads a virtual field trip every Monday. Past digital tours include the Guggenheim and the British Museum.
Stacey elaborates:
“This was born out of my new teaching realities. I wanted to find another way to give my students a way to escape with art. I look for galleries that have contemporary and historical art in their collections as it’s critical for my students to see how artists process ideas and difficult times through and with art. I dress up like I’m giving an art tour (which makes them groan and laugh all at once). The feedback has been really positive from the students so far.”
You can follow Stacey’s classroom account on Instagram at @maplesart. For Art21 films on museums, watch Kerry James Marshall: On Museums and Liz Larner: Distorting Form with Color.
#Art21GreatestHits: Louise Bourgeois in “Identity”
All of us at Art21 spend a lot of time going through our film library. Through our typical day-to-day encounters, each of us has established both personal and professional connections with the stories, practices, and intimate moments captured throughout our two decades of filmmaking.
We invited our staff to share some of their favorite moments.
Emma Nordin, Manager of Education Initiatives, selected the opening moments to our Louise Bourgeois segment, way back from our 2001 “Identity” episode. Adds Emma: “Her making the bobby pin out of a paperclip melts my heart.”
Thank you for supporting our work
As a non-profit organization, we rely on the generosity of viewers like you to help us continue to produce engaging films and educational resources on contemporary artists and art. If you’ve felt inspired by Art21 films, please consider donating today. Your gift will ensure the stories, art, and ideas of the most innovative artists of our time continue to inspire audiences around the world. Thank you for supporting our work.
