Milwaukee, WI – The MPC Endowment has awarded a grant to support the first film of a former Milwaukee Journal Sentinel arts writer, which will be showcased at the Milwaukee Film Festival. This grant is part of the endowment’s mission to promote journalism excellence and support educational programs and activities related to journalism.
“Out of the Picture” is a feature-length documentary film, more than a decade in the making, that follows the lives of five art critics through a period of historic change for art and media. It will premiere as part of the opening weekend of the Milwaukee Film Festival, where two of its subjects, Carolina Miranda, formerly of the Los Angeles Times, and Hrag Vartanian, of Hyperallergic, will be in attendance.
“Out of the Picture” is the first documentary film to be made about art critics in the United States. It was directed by first-time filmmaker Mary Louise Schumacher, who worked as an arts writer for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for more than 18 years.
When production on the film began, the iPhone camera was new, and the media had not turned over its gatekeeping powers to big tech. Fewer people were talking about the implications of AI and the unexplored world of online manipulation.
What emerged over more than a decade of filming are the intimate stories of five remarkable, change-making writers who challenge old ideas about art and media. The documentary explores the work and lives of Miranda and Vartanian, as well as Jen Graves (The Stranger), Jenee Osterheldt (The Boston Globe), and Seph Rodney, an independent critic. It also features some of the art world’s most prominent and insightful voices, such as artists Catherine Opie and Barbara Earl Thomas; author Sarah Thornton; and decorated critics Roberta Smith (The New York Times) and Jerry Saltz (New York Magazine).
Because the film’s story is rooted in Milwaukee, many of the artists Schumacher wrote about during her tenure are part of the texture of the film – including Della Wells, Tyanna Buie, Michelle Grabner, Valaria Tatera and others – and there are glimpses inside the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s old press room, too.
The film will screen at the Oriental Theatre in Milwaukee on Friday, April 12, at 5 p.m.
The film’s website and trailer can be found via these links.
The MPC Endowment is the independent philanthropic affiliate of the Milwaukee Press Club. It is a 501(c)(3) organization celebrating its 50th year of supporting journalism excellence through scholarships, internships, awards and training grants. To donate, please go to MPCEndowment.org.
