Work of Art: The Next Great Artist - Season 2

Fourteen of the art world's up-and-coming artists come together to compete for $100,000 and a solo exhibit at the world renowned Brooklyn Museum on the second season of "Work of Art." For their first challenge, the artists must use pieces of "bad" art, such as a painting of dogs playing checkers, a velvet cowboy, and a sculptural golden peacock as their canvas. Mentor Simon de Pury explains that in order to reach the top of the art world, they have to start at the bottom. Series judges China Chow, Jerry Saltz and Bill Powers will be looking for the artist that distinguishes themselves from the group by turning their abomination into a masterpiece. Renowned photographer Mary Ellen Mark serves as the guest judge.

For their second challenge, the artists must use Parkour, a discipline where participants overcome obstacles using only their bodies to move from point A to point B in the most creative and inventive way possible, as their inspiration. Esteemed curator and owner of Salon94 gallery in New York City, Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn returns to the panel as a guest judge.

Andy Warhol summed up a generation of consumerism and launched the POP art movement with a painting of a Campbell's soup can. For this challenge, the contestants must create a piece of POP art that captures the popular culture of their time, as effectively as Warhol did. Celebrity culture, music and reality TV are all fair game. This week the stakes are high, as the winning artist will receive a full page spread in Entertainment Weekly. Internationally renowned contemporary artist Rob Pruitt joins the judging panel.

The remaining artists find that their workspaces have been turned into a kid's art classroom, complete with colorful art adorning the walls and mini artists in each of their stations. In the spirit of youthful imagination, artists are challenged to create a piece of art inspired by the original artwork of the child they are paired with. Actress, Executive Producer and member of the President's Committee of the Arts and Humanities, Sarah Jessica Parker guest judges.

In the fifth episode, the contestants are invited to visit the home of one of the most recognized publications in the world - The New York Times. The artists must rummage through bins of newspapers to find a headline that strikes a chord with them and are then challenged to create a piece of art that illustrates the story they selected. The winning artist will have their work hung in the New York Times building. Artist Adam McEwen, best known for his text paintings, serves as guest judge.

The remaining artists are challenged to leave their mark on New York with a work that embodies the subversion of street art. Randomly paired, each team's canvas is a brick building's wall in DUMBO, Brooklyn, where they will install their art under the cover of night. After working through the day and night, they reveal their final piece to the public. Legendary street artists Lee Quinones is the guest judge.

The artists must utilize one automobile component from a Fiat 500 and transform it into a piece of art. From utilizing the engine block, being inspired by the facade, or even using the leather seating as a canvas, the contestants have total artistic freedom. Performance artist and automotive designer Liz Cohen joins as guest judge.

Simon takes the artists on a field trip through the streets of New York City. After turning a corner, a row of empty tables and easels is revealed -- one for each artist. In the ultimate battle of commerce vs. "high art," the artists will work in teams to create a minimum of one piece of art that they must sell to the public, but that is also worthy of presenting in a gallery show the following day. The winner of the challenge will receive a cash prize; in addition to keeping the money they earned selling their work(s). Jeanne Greenberg-Rohaytn returns to the judging panel this week.

China and Simon take the remaining artists out of their comfort zone, to a quaint town in the Hudson Valley. The artists wander the streets, meet the locals and seek inspiration from a slower-paced lifestyle. They are instructed to create an undated version of Americana using only materials sourced from the town.

The final contestants have been sent home to prepare a full solo exhibition. Climaxing in a large-scale gala opening at the Brooklyn Museum, the finalists present their collections to the judging panel to determine who will be "The Next Great Artist."