Join us for a special screening of the award-winning documentary Master of Light, an inspiring true story that follows artist George Anthony Morton as he finds freedom and beauty through painting after years of incarceration.
The HBO documentary Master of Light follows George Anthony Morton, a classical painter who spent 10 years in federal prison for dealing drugs. While locked up, he found comfort and therapy in art, honing his craft and painting striking portraits that are regularly compared to those by Rembrandt. The Dutch painter’s chiaroscuro style, playing with light and shade, becomes a visual motif in both Morton’s life and work. Even with no formal training, Morton was recognized as a promising painter with exacting artistic standards. His art helped him survive living his entire 20s behind bars. He often describes his time in prison as his monastery.
Upon his release, he was offered a coveted place in the first class of seven students by the New York Metro branch of the prestigious Florence Academy of Art. He became the first African American to graduate from any campus of Florence Academy of Art, where he won the competitive awards for Best Figure Drawing, 2015, and Best Portrait Drawing, 2016. To Morton, his unique spiritual and artistic journey has proved richly rewarding despite its often seemingly insurmountable challenges.
An unforgettable community conversation about how art became a path to healing, restoration and hope with Morton and his daughter Nuri will follow the screening. For tickets, please go to www.sedonafilmfestival.com
The event is sponsored by Death Penalty Alternative Arizona and the Sedona International Film Festival.
Also check out other Arts events in Sedona, Fine Arts events in Sedona, Workshops in Sedona.
