Art21 announces the addition of seven new artists to its Webby-nominated online documentary series New York Close Up, with films premiering today through September 2013.

The seven emerging artists joining the project both broaden the scope of stories about cultural production and mirror the multiculturalism of New York City. Artists include the international/foreign-born artists Laleh Khorramian (Iran), Meleko Mokgosi (Botswana), and Marela Zacarias (Mexico); as well as artists drawn to New York from across the United States: Debo Eilers (Texas), Daniel Gordon (California), Mary Mattingly (Connecticut), and Jacolby Satterwhite (South Carolina).

Watch Now The first film from the new round premiered today: Laleh Khorramian's Epic Animations, featuring artist Laleh Khorramian speaking from her temporary studio and home in upstate New York about the animations she has created over the last ten years.

Series Trailer, Year 3 Catch a glimpse at the entire series in the Year 3 trailer.

New films featuring the latest roster additions will premiere every other Friday throughout the summer on the New York Close Up website, as well as on the Art21 Vimeo and YouTube channels.

Art21 is extending its collaboration with all of the series artists in this multi-year film Web series, committing to telling multiple stories with featured artists into 2014. Participating artists, in addition to the newly-added seven, include: Diana Al-Hadid, Alejandro Almanza Pereda, Lucas Blalock, David Brooks, Martha Colburn, Keltie Ferris, LaToya Ruby Frazier, Josephine Halvorson, Tommy Hartung, Rashid Johnson, Liz Magic Laser, Kalup Linzy, Eddie Martinez, Shana Moulton, Mariah Roberston, Mika Rottenberg, Erin Shirreff, and Mika Tajima.

To date the series has released 39 five- to ten-minute films (over 4 hours in total) crafted from over 400 hours of original, high-definition documentary footage.

"This series is created through a process of discovery and by trying to get as close as possible to an artist's point of view," says series co-creator and Art21 Associate Curator Wesley Miller, who adds "that's where the excitement is--collaborating with artists to create portraits not just of themselves, but also of the time and place in which they live." Series co-creator and Art21 Director of Production Nick Ravich says "Our approach is to work slowly with artists to trace the development of their work and experiences. It's through the production of multiple films, over several years, that we create a space for experimentation and for chronicling the trajectories of young artists living and working in the city."

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