The Winner of the SXSW 2022 Documentary Feature Grand Jury Award, Master of Light highlights George Anthony Morton, a classical painter who spent ten years in federal prison for dealing drugs. While incarcerated, he nurtured his craft and unique artistic ability. Since his release, he is doing everything he can to defy society’s unlevel playing field and tackle the white-dominant art world. George faces his demons when he returns to his hometown, Kansas City. He does so by painting his family members. Diving deeper into his soul with every brushstroke, George shines a bright light on racial injustice; on the intergenerational trauma that, inescapably, comes with it. What emerges is a deeply personal tour de force, and a powerful, positive portrait of an artist.
Touring with the Film
George Anthony Morton (Protagonist) is an Atlanta-based award-winning and internationally recognized artist, specializing in classical painting and drawing inspired by Classical-Realist tradition. He nurtured his craft and unique artistic ability in his twenties, while serving a 10 year sentence in federal prison. His work has been featured in The New York Times and exhibited at Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration at MoMA PS1. George is a graduate of the prestigious Florence Academy of Art and he established his own studio, Atelier South, with the mission of bringing Renaissance-based art to the Atlanta area. George has also led several trips to Egypt seeking the timeless principles and African origins of art and self improvement.
Schedule
Alabama - Louisiana - Mississippi Circuit
Monday, March 4, 2024: Cleveland, MS - Bologna Performing Arts Center, Delta State University
Sunday, March 10, 2024: Jackson, MS - Mississippi Department of Archives and History
Monday, March 11, 2024: Alexandria, LA - Arts Council of Central Louisiana
Wednesday, March 13, 2024: Birmingham, AL - Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema
Thursday, March 14, 2024: Hanceville, AL - Burrow Museum at Wallace State Community College
Kentucky - Tennessee Circuit
Tuesday, March 5, 2024: Lexington, KY - The Living Arts & Science Center
Thursday, March 7, 2024: Bowling Green, KY - Western Kentucky University
Saturday, March 9, 2024: Nashville, TN - Global Education Center