House of Criticism: Intimate Portrait of Art Critics Jerry Saltz and Roberta Smith Premieres at Tribeca

Alison Chernick's documentary 'House of Criticism' (2026) had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 12-14, offering an intimate look at the private lives of married art critics Jerry Saltz and Roberta Smith. The film follows their daily routines in Manhattan, from gallery visits to their apartment, revealing the dynamics of a relationship built around art criticism. Smith retired from The New York Times in 2024, a decision she made without consulting Saltz. The documentary traces their formative experiences: Smith's upbringing in Kansas with a mother who cultivated her aesthetic sense, leading to the Whitney Independent Study Program and work with Donald Judd; Saltz's childhood visit to the Art Institute of Chicago, where his mother left him to view art two weeks before her suicide. The film highlights their contrasting writing styles—Smith's precision versus Saltz's emotional expansiveness—and includes moments like Saltz showing his student artwork and Smith recalling helping him with writing. Notably, the documentary avoids deep discussion of criticism's future, though Saltz notes they occupy two of the last full-time critic positions in the US.