A nonprofit organization, Art21's mission is to increase knowledge of contemporary art, ignite discussion, and inspire creative thinking by documenting artists at work and in their own words.

Contemporary American visual art makes an important contribution to our national culture, bringing economic and intellectual vitality to our urban centers and throughout our country, yet there is insufficient public understanding of who our artists are, what they do, and how their works participate in a global dialogue concerning larger social and philosophical issues. Art21 has dramatically changed this situation by introducing an ever-growing national, and increasingly international, audience to innovative artists from diverse geographic, ethnic, cultural, and artistic backgrounds.