April 2005

Videomaker Penny Phillips and her late husband David Schneiderman (1938-2003) have specialized in documentaries about indigenous art, emphasizing the values and skills individual artists bring to their work. Phillips is currently completing a documentary about Ulli Steltzer, a photographer who has published books on Native artists such as Bill Reid (Haida). An award-winning video editor for KTTV-Los Angeles, Phillips belongs to the Independent Documentary Association and the National Association of Broadcast Engineers. She studied at KTTV Broadcast Engineering School and San Francisco State University, and grew up in Orinda, California.

"I have had a long-lasting passion for Native art. It speaks to my heart and to my aesthetics. Together, David Schneiderman, my late husband, and I have sought out Native artists and made documentaries about their work and cultures. It has been a great joy to work with Native people as they directly and individually explain and interpret their own work and traditions."

Screened by NMAI

• Faithful to Continuance (2003) co-producer, co-director
  
• Keeping the Spirit Alive (1999) co-producer, co-director

Image credit: Penny Phillips - courtesy of the filmmaker