Master of Light

Sunday Showcase
Master of Light
Directed by Rosa Ruth Boesten

Sunday, April 16, 2:30 pm

Free

“Affirming the power of art, rehabilitation, and compassion at a time when they seem under heavy attack.”—Leslie Byron Pitt, The Playlist

George Anthony Morton is a classical painter who spent ten years in federal prison for dealing drugs as a young man. 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. He studied at the Florence Academy of Art and had the opportunity to work in Rembrandt’s studio in Amsterdam. Frustrated that the inspiration for paintings in his studies and museum visits were Eurocentric figures, he questions why there can’t be depictions of Black bodies in an elevated state.

He returned to his hometown of Kansas City to heal the broken relationship with his mother and paint family members in the style of the Dutch Old Masters. Going back home forces George to face his past in his quest to rewrite the script of his life and discover the contribution of African influences to the realist tradition. 2022, U.S., DCP, 84 minutes. Recommended for 16+.

CINEMA+ |  With a post-screening discussion with artist George Anthony Morton.