FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, November 27, 2023

New York, New York – Art21 is proud to announce the premiere of a new film: “Kerry James Marshall: ‘Now and Forever’” premiering Wednesday, December 6th at 12:00pm ET on Art21.org and YouTube. The final 2023 release of Art21’s digital film series, Extended Play, “Kerry James Marshall: ‘Now and Forever'” offers a look at the artist’s stained glass commission at the Washington National Cathedral.

“What [artworks] can do is to invite us to imagine oneself as a subject and an author of a neverending story that is still yet to be told,” says Kerry James Marshall. “This is what I’ve tried to do and tried to accomplish with words, images, and colored glass. For right here, and for right now.”

Art21 returns to film with Kerry James Marshall, over two decades since his appearance in Art in the Twenty-First Century, on the occasion of his historic commission to replace the Robert E. Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson windows at the Washington National Cathedral. Following Marshall from the fabrication of the windows in Virginia to their installation and inaugural ceremony in Washington DC, this film gives viewers unique insights into the artist’s mind as he embarked on this monumental undertaking. 

“To play a role in sharing this work, its connections to the ideals of the American experiment, and the profound words of Kerry James Marshall, is deeply humbling,” says Jurrell Lewis, Co-Director. “I hope the film and Marshall’s work convey the importance of our right to fairness, and the right to protest when foul play is found in its place.”

Tune in to the premiere of “Kerry James Marshall: ‘Now and Forever'” on Wednesday, December 6, 2023, at 12PM ET at Art21.org and on Art21’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/art21org. To learn more email Art21 Manager of Communications, Hannah DeGarmo, at [email protected]. 

About Extended Play

Art21’s Extended Play digital series provides unmediated, behind-the-scenes access to today’s leading artists. Through process-revealing footage and intimate interviews, these curatorially-driven films chronicle a diverse scale of international projects, ranging from major commissions to exploratory sketches. Produced in close collaboration with artists, Extended Play uncovers the provocative ideas, timely cultural influences, and biographical anecdotes that inspire the artists featured throughout the series.

Extended Play is presented by the Marina Kellen French Foundation, with support from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, the Henry Nias Foundation, and individual contributors. 

About Art21

Art21 is the world’s leading source to learn directly from the artists of our time. A nonprofit organization, the mission of Art21 is to educate and expand access to contemporary art, producing documentary films, resources, and public programs. Learn more at Art21.org.

---

Press Contact

Hannah DeGarmo
Manager of Communications, Art21
[email protected]