Much of my art education has come from watching documentaries. This form of visual and emotional storytelling is often more accessible and enjoyable to me than reading dense or academic texts about artists, art history, or art movements.

As we transition from summer to fall—some of us going back to school, some going back to work, some re-discovering our rightful places under our softest blankets—I wanted to share a handful of favorite art docs with you to watch at your leisure. Each of these films, in its own way, has shifted the way I see the world and the role of art in it.

Documentaries like these are an invaluable resource for everyone, including those of us who have difficulty accessing more formal or tradational arts education for any number of reasons, including physical and financial barriers.

If there’s interest, we can further explore documentaries on a wide range of artistic disciplines and themes. This can be the first of many rounds; there’s a lot more where this came from.

[Please note: With only one exception, I’ve included the names of the platform where the film is streaming for FREE (these change frequently, though, so please double check). If no platform is listed, it means that at the time of this post the film is only available to rent (that can change too, so it’s worth a google). You’ll notice that many of these docs are available on Kanopy, which I cannot recommend highly enough. It’s a free streaming service available through most local libraries. If your library has a partnership with them, all you do is go to Kanopy’s website, enter your library card number and—voila!—you’re signed up in twenty seconds. They have one of the most extensive collections of art documentaries anywhere.]

If you have your own recommendations for the community please drop them in the comments!

The Painter and the Thief (Kanopy)

Jean Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child (Kanopy)

Marwencol (Kanopy)

The Artist is Present (Kanopy)

Faces Places (Kanopy)

Love and Fury (Netflix)

Herb & Dorothy

Levitated Mass (Kanopy)

A Ballerina’s Tale (full film available for free here)