Assistant Professor Marquise Mays was featured in a recent episode of No Studios’ mini-documentary series Creating Milwaukee. The series showcases some of Milwaukee’s best artists and creatives, shining a light on their connection to their community through art.
Marquise Mays is not only an award-winning filmmaker but is also an assistant professor in Film, Video, Animation, and New Genres at PSOA. Growing up in Milwaukee, Mays documents how film offers an identity for himself and his community. “I feel like Black people in this city have a very special connection to the theater,” Mays notes, adding that cinema is an opportunity for the Black community to explore life outside of the barriers that surround them. Because of this, he has used documentary work to blend creativity with the ability to report on behalf of his community.
As an assistant professor, Mays stresses the importance of community in the filmmaking process: “The one thing I try to tell my students the most is that the people that you are sitting next to in your first film class will probably be some of the greatest collaborators you ever have.” Mays notes that he reconnected with a classmate from his introductory film course to help him complete his documentary The Heartland.
Learn more about Marquise and watch the episode on the Creating Milwaukee website.