PRESS
“Forty-six years after she embedded with the Sanitation Department, Ms. Ukeles’s populist convictions, her belief in the dignity of labor, her wariness of feminist art committed narrowly to liberating women from the male gaze speak with a power to the tensions between class and gender politics roiling the country right now.”
- The New York Times
“One of the most anticipated films of the 2025 Tribeca Festival. Riveting and long overdue.”
- Filmmaker Magazine
“A visually explosive portrait of a one-of-a-kind creative.”
- NBC New York
“Maintenance Artist explores the life and art of Mierle Laderman Ukeles, whose iconic works challenged both classism and art world conventions.”
- Cultured
“A fascinating look at an undeterred feminist and advocate for the working class who constantly defied such easy labels.”
- Documentary Magazine
“The film benefits from a treasure trove of archival video, which was gathered over the decades by the artist herself. It promises a front-row seat to 20th century history, as Ukeles’s work intersects with movements in environmentalism, conceptual art and feminism.”
- CBC Arts
“‘Maintenance Artist’ Highlights Mierle Laderman Ukeles’ Radical, Caring Approach to Public Art.”
- Colossal
INTERVIEW: Director Toby Perl Freilich “The new documentary Maintenance Artist tells the story of public artist Mierle Laderman Ukeles, the first New York City Sanitation Department artist-in-residence, a title she still holds today.”
- All of It With Alison Stewart | WNYC
“Meet the ‘Maintenance Artist’ Who Has Made Lifelong Art Out of Labor.”
- Artnet
“Chronicles decades of work by New York ‘maintenance artist’ Mierle Laderman Ukeles.”
- The Art Newspaper
“An extraordinary documentary that chronicles the challenges for Mierle Laderman Ukeles as the first-ever Artist-in-Residence at the New York City Department of Sanitation.”
“Through Ukele’s works, the definition of art is blurred and becomes a multidimensional instrument to examine human nature. From showcasing motherhood to sanitation workers, Ukeles transformed what art could be and who it could highlight.”
- The Torch
“A rich archive of landscapes fashioned out of waste and work.”
- The Arts Fuse
“Through the decades, Ukeles continued to make art that highlighted sanitation workers—in the process asking viewers to think hard about who is lauded, who is ignored, and why.”
- Lilith Magazine
“Maintenance Artist” makes a lasting impression. It offers a beautiful reminder of how the world around us operates and how easily we come to ignore the processes that sustain it. The documentary, like its subject, reframes maintenance as a creative, valuable, and deeply human process.”
- Columbia Spectator
“Raw, emotional, and thought-provoking.”
- Office Magazine
“Freilich balances a portrait of an unsalaried public artist’s radical practice with a thoughtful reflection on the underacknowledged people who keep a city moving.”
- Surface Magazine
“A fascinating portrait of New York City’s first Sanitation Department artist-in-residence—the Marcel Duchamp of trash—who declared everyday activities to be works of art. A New York City hero.”
- The Stranger
“Whether you’re a fan of experimental art, social practice, or simply intrigued by how creativity can infiltrate the bureaucratic machinery of city life, this documentary is a must-watch. It serves as both a tribute and a testament to how one woman’s practice continues to shape conversations around care, community, and the creative potential of labor.”
- StupidDOPE
“Interview With ‘Maintenance Artist’ Director Toby Perl Freilich”
- The Rolling Tape
“A powerful film about a truly exceptional woman.”
- Immersive Media
“As society still struggles to recognize the value of care, Maintenance Artist -- a film about American artist Mierle Laderman Ukeles – reverberates with political urgency.”
- inGenere
“The film invites viewers to reconsider the politics of care and the artistry inherent in sustaining the urban environment. It serves as a testament to Ukeles’ lasting impact on contemporary art and social justice dialogues within New York and beyond.”
- NYC Pulse
“It’s a joy to watch, and provocative while raising issues that should realistically be common sense practices in human decency… Maintenance Artist invites valuable considerations about the ways in which we value art, but also the everyday work that often goes undetected as we go about our ways. That invisible labour is an art unto itself, and this portrait of Ukeles’ practice offers a deeply humanist consideration of civil society. If a portrait of a can of soup nets high praise and higher prices, shouldn’t the artists who recycle the can be equally worthy of esteem?”
- POV Magazine
“This Jewish feminist has been the NYC’s sanitation department’s official artist for 50 years. A new movie tells her story.”
- Jewish Telegraphic Agency
“The documentary might help more of us consider and appreciate the maintenance communities both in the art world and in our everyday lives, and what else still goes unnoticed or under-recognized.” - Hyperallergic