Author

Mary Louise Schumacher

@artcity

Mary Louise Schumacher, the 2017 Arts & Culture Nieman Fellow, is an independent journalist and critic. She is currently at work on a documentary film about art critics in the midst of technological and cultural transformation. She was the art and architecture critic at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel until February 2019, where she covered culture for the Midwestern newspaper for more than 18 years.

Examining the Future of the American Art Critic

Examining the Future of the American Art Critic

With her documentary “Out of the Picture,” Mary Louise Schumacher, NF ’17, hopes to prompt national conversation about art criticism and how meaning gets made in the 21st century:When I…
What One Milwaukee Journalist Learned from 18 Months Exploring Democracy

What One Milwaukee Journalist Learned from 18 Months Exploring Democracy

Being in a battleground state has meant having an embattled relationship with the news during the election season. As recently as this past weekend, President Donald Trump counted my hometown,…
Deep Listening Project Helps Milwaukee Reflect on Democracy

Deep Listening Project Helps Milwaukee Reflect on Democracy

Cutting through the noise, “This is Milwaukee” explores citizenship and community representation
Visual Arts Journalism: Newsroom Pressure and Generational Change

Visual Arts Journalism: Newsroom Pressure and Generational Change

A survey of more than 300 journalists finds visual arts writers and critics addressing issues of race, gender, identity—and relevance
Critics and Online Outlets Leading the Vanguard in Arts Writing

Critics and Online Outlets Leading the Vanguard in Arts Writing

When pop artist Jeff Koons had a retrospective at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, it seemed every art critic had to have his or her say.…