By Katy Daly
BEAUTY AND RUIN is a great documentary for anyone who holds any opinion of art– which, let’s be honest…literally everyone has some sort of opinion on art. As an Art Historian myself, I was fully prepared to side with The Detroit Institute of Art on this one. I remember when this was all happening. I was in grad-school at the time working on a Masters in Art Education, focusing specifically on museums and museum studies. It was all we could talk about. The news felt like it was everywhere. Of course, it was art news, but I was all in. I remember feeling relieved after the dust settled and the news stopped, resting easy knowing the museum was spared the loss of its masterpieces. I wish I had seen this film back then. This documentary does a nice job of showing all sides of the story—that of the art lovers, Detroit retirees, city employees, and the museum itself—allowing the audience to form their own opinion on the subject. Although I still find my inner art historian relating with the museum, I feel way more informed than I ever was before. Go see this film. Do it for the sake of the art.