We are deeply saddened by the passing of teaching professor and dear friend Carl Bogner, whose tenacious fight against cancer came to an end on Sunday.
In recent days, countless former students, colleagues, and friends have assembled in his honor at informal gatherings across Milwaukee, Chicago, and beyond—a testament to the vast influence and profound impact Carl had on individual lives and entire communities.
We share in mourning this loss, and we join, in spirit, each celebration of his incredible life.
Carl’s legacy at the UWM Peck School of the Arts and Department of Film, Video, Animation & New Genres is immeasurable. His contributions have shaped our lives, the lives of our students, and the broader world.
With unwavering passion, Carl directed the LGBT+ Film/Video Festival for over 20 years, curating an array of films to audiences and providing a platform for dialogue relating to understanding, making room for difference, acceptance, and inclusion. The festival ran for nearly 35 years on UWM’s campus and was revered as an institution in the community.
Although the festival celebrated its final run in 2020, Bogner continued to make a positive impact through the Queer Curatorial Fund, supporting student scholarships, screenings, travel to festivals and conferences, and curatorial activities in recognition of artistic excellence by LGBTQ+ artists and allies.
We are proud that Carl was honored last year by the Universities of Wisconsin with the Dr. P.B. Poorman Award for Outstanding Achievement on Behalf of LGBTQ+ People, and we are grateful that he continued to engage with our campus as recently as this month. Just weeks ago, Carl curated a special From the Archives screening for Experimental Tuesdays, a confluence of two series he founded at UWM.
Carl’s distinctive laugh, intellectual brilliance, deep empathy, incredible wit, and delight at all things creative will be missed tremendously and held onto dearly.
UWM Peck School of the Arts & Department of Film, Video, Animation & New Genres