After she became a mother in 1969, artist Mierle Laderman Ukeles published a manifesto declaring acts of everyday maintenance, like housework or childcare, to be performance art. “After the revolution, who’s going to pick up the garbage on Monday morning?" she asked. Seeing similarities between the invisible labor of women and that of municipal workers, she became the first artist in residence at New York City’s Department of Sanitation. Toby Perl Freilich's engaging portrait draws on rich archival footage to chronicle Ukeles' revolutionary life and practice — and her enduring commitment to the dignity of labor.
Post-screening conversation with director Toby Perl Freilich and Tom Finkelpearl, former commissioner of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.
Doors 5:30pm / Screening 6:00pm
Image credit: Photo by Robin Holland © Mierle Laderman Ukeles. Courtesy the artist and Ronald Feldman Gallery, New York
