Sources: Martha Scott, 785-532-7718, marthas@k-state.edu;
and Andrew North, 785-532-7718, anorth@k-state.edu
Web site: http://beach.k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Katie Mayes, 785-532-6415, kmayes@k-state.edu

Monday, Oct. 5, 2009

K-STATE'S BEACH MUSEUM OF ART TO HOST PREVIEW OF 'ART:21' TV SERIES

MANHATTAN -- Kansas State University's Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art is host to a public preview of "Art:21 -- Art in the Twenty-First Century," the only prime-time television series that focuses exclusively on contemporary art.

The series' third episode, "Transformation," will be screened at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11, in the museum's UMB Theatre. The episode will feature the work of artists Yinka Shonibare, Cindy Sherman and Paul McCarthy.

"The 'Art:21' preview will allow participants to see what contemporary, cutting-edge artists around the world are doing and make connections between art and our lives today," said Kathrine Schlageck, senior educator at the Beach Museum of Art.

The local preview of the PBS series is one of hundreds of screenings that are part of the Art21 Access '09 initiative, designed to increase knowledge of contemporary art, ignite dialogue and inspire creative thinking through exposure to the series. Bill North and Elizabeth Seaton, both curators at the Beach Museum of Art, will lead the discussion at the screening.

The entire "Art:21" series premieres on PBS at 10 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, with a new episode each week. Through in-depth profiles and interviews, the four-part series reveals the inspiration, vision and techniques behind the creative works of some of today's most thought-provoking artists.

Art21 Access '09 events are presented in partnership with Americans for the Arts as part of National Arts and Humanities Month in October.

For more information, contact the Beach Museum of Art at 785-532-7718 or drop by the museum on the southeast corner of the K-State campus at 14th Street and Anderson Avenue. Free visitor parking is available next to the building. Normal museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays; and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. The museum is closed Mondays. More information is available at http://beach.k-state.edu