Photo via Ken Brosky
Ken Brosky - Closure
Wisconsin once had one of the finest state college systems in the nation, but budget cuts and an anti-intellectual climate has forced a contraction. Filmmaker Ken Brosky explores the past and present of the University of Wisconsin system in his new documentary, Closure.
“In the spring of 2024, when I heard the UW-Waukesha was being closed (even though it still had an enrollment of over 600 students), I decided to rent a camera and document the closures,” he says. “Working solo, I visited multiple two-year campuses to investigate how the closures across the state were impacting the staff, students and communities. This is the final product of that investigation, but it’s not the conclusion. Even as I was finishing the editing process, it was announced that UW-Oshkosh was going to close its two-year Fox Cities campus.”
Combing archival photos and interviews, Closure reminds viewers of the UW system’s foundational ideal, the “Wisconsin Idea,” which insists that tax-funded colleges have an obligation that extends beyond campus to the entire state. The Wisconsin Idea was a product of the Progressive movement of the late 1800s with its emphasis on reforming and improving society.
As early as the 1890s, Madison faculty began traveling the state, lecturing to farmers, shopkeepers and laborers on a gamut of subjects—not just STEM, but literature, arts and history. This set a precedent for the network of other campuses extending across Wisconsin, some, like UW-Milwaukee, in big cities, but many in smaller towns. The idea was access for everyone, bringing the benefits of education to everyone. It’s a commitment that is now in jeopardy.
The Milwaukee premier of Closure is scheduled for 7 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 24 at the Times Cinema, 5906 W. Vliet St. The director will talk about the film at 6:50 p.m.
