TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The University of Alabama department of art and the UA Art Students League will present a screening of the third season of the acclaimed PBS series “Art:21 -- Art in the Twenty-First Century” Friday, Sept. 9, at 6 p.m. in the Art Students League Gallery, 109 Woods Hall.

This screening at UA is one of a series of preview screening events happening across the country in anticipation of the broadcast of the third season of “Art:21--Art in the Twenty-First Century” on PBS. Supported by the nonprofit community art organization Art21, community members will have the opportunity to view one of the newest thematic hours featuring contemporary artists discussing their lives, work and sources of inspiration.

Art21 is a nonprofit contemporary art organization dedicated to introducing a large national, and increasingly international, audience to contemporary visual art and artists working in the U.S. today. As part of its mission to make contemporary art more accessible, Art21 produces the Emmy-nominated PBS series “Art:21 -- Art in the Twenty-First Century” as well as companion books, education materials and an extensive Web site at www.pbs.org/art21.

The UA Art Students League, event co-sponsors, is a student service organization designed to enrich the environment for all students by maintaining the student gallery space in Woods Hall and providing resources to help emerging artists develop their skills. The Art Students League meets every month to discuss issues in the University's art community and to address current projects.

The UA department of art, part of the UA College of Arts and Sciences, offers undergraduate programs leading to the bachelor of arts degree and the bachelor of fine arts degree in studio art, and the bachelor of arts degree in art history. The department offers class instruction to some 1,450 undergraduate students per semester.