“The Art and Life of George Morrison”
Sunday, April 5 at 3:00 p.m. on tpt 2
SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA, April 1, 2015 – “The Art and Life of George Morrison” is the first in an exciting new documentary series about Minnesota Book Award-winning books, entitled “Beyond the Book.” Airing Sunday, April 5 at 3:00 p.m. on tpt 2, the show is based on the 2014 Minnesota Book Award-winning book Modern Spirit: The Art of George Morrison by W. Jackson Rushing III and Kristin Makholm (Executive Director of the Minnesota Museum of American Art). The documentary features the unique story of a great American artist whose creative journey spans the last half of the 20th century.
The work of George Morrison has enjoyed widespread critical acclaim and he is one of Minnesota’s most cherished artists, yet because Morrison’s artwork typically does not include overt references to his Indian heritage, it has stirred debate about what it means to be a Native American artist.
From his early training in Minneapolis and Paris in the 1940s and ‘50s to his success as an abstract artist in New York and beyond, George Morrison’s life revolved around his artistic vision, intellectual drive, and creative energy.
As a Native American with strong connections to his Chippewa roots, Morrison’s life and art weave a story that exists at the intersection of modernism, abstraction, and deep spiritual awakening.
Included are interviews with Dick Bancroft, Hazel Belvo, Percy Chester, Jim Denomie, Daniel Gumnit, Linda Kuusisto, Kristin Makholm, Prof. Ron Libertus, Briand Morrison, Prof. W. Jackson Rushing III, and Prof. Robert Silberman. More than 50 of his paintings, drawings on wood totems and collages are featured.
“The Art and Life of George Morrison” was produced by Twin Cities Public Television in collaboration with The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library and the Minnesota Museum of American Art. Funding was made possible by the Council of Regional Public Library System Administrators with money from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the people of Minnesota for Library Legacy activities.
The nationally touring exhibition of his works, “Modern Spirit: The Art of George Morrison,” continues at the Minnesota History Center through Sunday, April 26.
For more details about “Beyond the Book,” the Minnesota Book Awards, or the Minnesota Center for the Book, please visit www.thefriends.org or call 651-366-6497. The Minnesota Book Awards, presented by 3M Library Systems, is a program of The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library. The Huss Foundation, The Katherine B. Andersen Fund of The Saint Paul Foundation, and The McKnight Foundation have provided generous support. Media sponsors include Minnesota Public Radio, the Star Tribune, and Twin Cities Public Television. Outreach partners and supporting organizations include the Council of Regional Public Library Systems Administrators; The Loft Literary Center; Metropolitan Library Service Agency (MELSA); and Minnesota Center for Book Arts.
About The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library:
Currently celebrating its 70th year, The Friends is a nonprofit membership organization whose mission is stronger libraries for stronger communities. The Friends has a nonprofit consulting group, Library Strategies, that provides services to libraries and library organizations across the country and internationally. As an influential voice for libraries, we will ensure the Saint Paul Public Library and our partner libraries are vital centers of engaged, educated and diverse communities. The Friends also leads the Minnesota Book Awards and serves as the Minnesota Center for the Book – the state affiliate of the National Center for the Book at the Library of Congress. For more information, contact The Friends at 651-222-3242 or visit www.thefriends.org.