Tina Morton, CLA ’92, FMA ’05, is one of 12 Philadelphia-area artists to receive a 2010 Pew Fellowship in the Arts, which brings a $60,000 award.
Tina Morton, CLA ’92, FMA ’05 (photo by Colin Lenton)
A former X-ray technician, Morton decided to pursue documentary filmmaking after researching the story of Corrine Sykes, the first African-American woman to be legally executed in Philadelphia. Her resulting film, Severed Souls, documents Sykes’ story.
She has since produced Belly of the Basin, a documentary on how specific minority groups in New Orleans were affected by Hurricane Katrina, which won Best Documentary at the 2008 Black Hollywood Film Festival.
Morton, a professor at Howard University, says, “Many people feel comfortable sharing their stories with someone whose purpose is centered with mutual respect in allowing them to tell their story their own way.”
According to the Pew Center for Arts and Heritage, “Pew Fellowships in the Arts (PFA) provides ‘no strings attached’ fellowships of $60,000 over one to two years to artists of exemplary talent in the five-county Philadelphia area. Artists are selected based on the merit of their work, dedication to their professional practice and the potential impact that the fellowship will have on their subsequent creative endeavors.”
