Mapping Voices: a life of storytelling

Minnesota State University Moorhead is proud to honor Keri Pickett '82 with the Distinguished Alumni Award, recognizing her impact as a filmmaker, photographer, and storyteller. Pickett, a photography graduate, has built a career capturing compelling human experiences through photography and film. Pickett is no stranger to honors like this. She previously received the Outstanding Young Alumni Award and, in 2018, the Lifetime Achievement Award from MSUM’s School of Art. She is also the recipient of many professional and industry awards and accolades.

Pickett’s career is comparable to a cartographer’s, mapping previously untold stories and documenting the lives of those often left off maps. Through her photography and films, she charts overlooked communities, preserving their histories and bringing their messages into public view. Her ability to document the world with both precision and emotion has made her a standout voice in photography and filmmaking.

Before her illustrious career launched, Pickett was a photography student at MSU Moorhead (then called Moorhead State University.) During her time at MSUM, Pickett says she developed artistic skills with the guidance of dedicated faculty.

"I always felt that it was a really good school. I think the technical aspects (of the curriculum) were expected, but the concepts the instructors stressed were especially important," says Pickett.

After graduation, Pickett moved to New York City, working in photography before becoming an independent creator. At a young age she took a big chance and began working for herself. Pickett’s work included important subjects like presidents, nobel laureates and famous musicians. Her stellar work earned national recognition. She has authored multiple books and directed several films. While Pickett is proud of her documentation of public figures, she says those are not as important as the family and friends whose lives she documented in an authentic and genuine manner.

Pickett, photographed in 1985 by Ann Marsden | Courtesy of Keri Pickett

A particularly important project for Pickett is "Love in the 90s". The book consists of a collection of Pickett’s photos of her grandparents in their 90s along with their courtship love letters from the 1920s. It became a massive success, reaching large audiences, with and printing 150,000 copies internationally.

Pickett's grandparents ("Love in the 90s") Courtesy of Keri Pickett

"I think that was a really important book, because it was my grandparents, and all about intimacy, but also all about history and looking at aging in a different way," says Pickett.

After decades as a photographer, Pickett began charting a new medium: documentary film. Filmmaking expanded her storytelling reach. Her first film, "The Fabulous Ice Age", documented the history of theatrical figure skating and was picked up by Netflix. Pickett says it’s important to explore ambitious projects and push creative boundaries.

“One thing I learned in my time at (MSUM) and since, is you should never say never,” says Pickett.

This fearlessness in the face of the unfamiliar has helped her tackle a variety of subjects as an “outsider”. Following "The Fabulous Ice Age", she directed "First Daughter and the Black Snake", which followed Indigenous activist Winona LaDuke’s efforts to protect her homeland. This was followed up by "Finding Her Beat", a film about the inclusion of women and non-binary individuals in Taiko drumming.

This focus on storytelling and self-reflection is evident throughout her work, from photography to filmmaking. Her films and books preserve history while igniting essential conversations about identity, justice, and change. As her creative path continues to evolve, Pickett serves as a powerful example of the impact an MSUM education can have and the transformative power of pursuing one's passions. The Distinguished Alumni Award is a fitting tribute to her lifelong contributions to the arts and society.