Talks & Conversations

Gallery Talk—Artist George A. Morton on John Singer Sargent 

How might historical American art inspire contemporary artists and visitors today? Join award-winning artist George A. Morton in our newly reimagined American galleries for a talk about the influence of John Singer Sargent on his creative practice. He will be in conversation with Sarah Cash, associate curator and acting head of American and British paintings. 

George A. Morton

artist

George A. Morton specializes in classical drawing, painting, and filmmaking. While serving a 10-year sentence in federal prison in his 20s, Morton nurtured his craft and unique artistic ability, rigorously studying the classical-realist tradition of Renaissance painters. After his release, Morton attended the Florence Academy of Art, where he received awards for best figure drawing and best portrait drawing, and was the first Black student to obtain a degree. In 2019, he founded Atelier South, which offers classical studio art training to students of all levels in Atlanta. His work was exhibited in Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration at MoMA PS1 (2020–2021). Morton also co-created the Emmy Award-winning autobiographical documentary Master of Light (2022). The film earned honors at the SXSW Film Festival, Sheffield Doc Fest, and San Francisco International Film Festival, and was acquired by HBO. He is also the founder of More Light, a nonprofit that merges classical mastery with trauma-informed pedagogy across correctional institutions, HBCUs, and museums.  

 

Morton is a participant in the second year of the For Freedoms residency, produced by the Corcoran/National Gallery partnership, designed as a Civic Arts Lab, an active space for civic and cultural inquiry and collective experimentation. Rooted in a spirit of collaboration, the Lab invites ongoing dialogue and creative practice that explore the intersections of artistic expression and civic life. Through participatory engagements and open-ended exploration, the Lab is a site for testing ideas and nurturing new ways of thinking, making, and being together. 

Article

Painter George A. Morton Transcends Tradition

Through sustained looking and detailed re-creations, this Atlanta-based artist studies Rembrandt and Sargent while finding new subjects that carry forward the painters’ traditions.

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