A New Color: The Art of Being Edythe Boone

Reviews and Festivals

"As a television producer and president of the Board of Berkeley Community Media, I believe in translating a message through film and art. This film is a phenomenal example of just that."
— Angela "Cleo" Smith, Television Producer

"Highly Recommended. A New Color tells the story of an artist whose transformative tenacity and creativity inspires young students to believe in themselves. Mo Morris is a fantastic filmmaker who has captured Edythe Boone's colorful wisdom with authenticity and vigor. It was an honor to have Mo Morris visit our 8th-grade classroom to screen the film and explore diverse topics of social justice, race, and human tribulations with our students."
— Karen Velasquez, Director of Equity and Inclusion, Escuela Bilingue Internacional

"A NEW COLOR is a testimony to the spirit, resiliency, and beauty of artist Edythe Boone and of the Visual Arts. It stresses the importance for children to get the best arts education possible by working with teaching artists who are expert and visionary in their art discipline. This timely film also addresses race relations problems our world is facing. All educators should see this film and share it with their students as it gives us a window into the artist's process and the Arts' great impact on our lives."
— Michael Watkins, Superintendent, Santa Cruz County Office of Education

"Edythe Boone's compassionate pedagogy is a model for artist educators working with any age and constituency."
— Juana Alicia Araiza, Public Art Program, Berkeley City College

"Recommended. Engaging 73-year-old artist Edythe Boone is at the center of this documentary from Marlene 'Mo' Morris that focuses on Boone's life and career as well as two of her current mural projects...An interesting slice-of-life portrait of an inspiring activist and educator whose medium is art."
— Video Librarian

"Septuagenarian artist Edythe Boone combines activism and art as she climbs scaffolding, works on murals and remains vitally involved with her community and work... This fine program, filmed over a three-year period, is a tribute to the grace and spirit of a celebrated artists who is known for her community murals."
— Booklist

"An inspiring portrait of the ebullient artist-activist…. Art and activism often go hand in hand, yet, even among artists whose work is oriented toward social justice, it’s rare to find someone whose creativity and community-building work are as naturally entwined as Berkeley’s Edythe Boone.”
— San Francisco Chronicle

"Highly Recommended. Layered throughout A New Color is the reality of violence, specifically police violence, hitting communities of color. The subjects of the documentary work through their anger, sadness, and fear with artwork as tragic events unfold in their communities...The film also offers a different lens into the Black Lives Matter movement and forms of protest through artwork. Suited for Art, Art Therapy, or Education courses."
— Educational Media Reviews Online

“A NEW COLOR is more kinetic and less rarified than your standard artist profile. From a West Oakland middle school to a Richmond senior center, Boone demystified the creative process by imparting techniques and encouraging unselfconscious participation.”
— Michael Fox, Oakland Magazine

"An exuberant and inspiring film...Tough and compassionate, wise and funny, she lived through segregation and Jim Crow maintaining her faith in humanity. In the classroom, Edy’s creative example inspires students to imagine new possibilities, challenge stereotypes and become agents of change."
— Legacy Film Festival on Aging

“A vehicle to discuss inequality and racial justice.”
— Berkeleyside.com

"Edythe Boone’s work documents the ways that art can seamlessly connect community, civic, and educational sectors. A New Color is a valuable cinematic tool for the education of students, artists, art lovers, teachers, activists, and everyone else."
— Stephanie Ann Johnson, PhD, Professor of Visual and Public Art , CSU Monterey Bay

"Highly Recommend. An inspiring, thought-provoking film worthy of the widest possible audience. Filmmaker Mo Morris has created an exceptional film that at first glance is the powerful story of one woman and her art. Yet, as the story unfolds, more complex issues are revealed, opening the door for deeper discussion after the film on many valuable topics including the power of art, art in education, and racial injustice."
— Lafayette Library and Learning Center, Lafayette, CA

WINNER
Audience Favorite, Mill Valley Film Festival
Best Short Documentary, Peace on Earth Film Festival

OFFICIAL SELECTION
Pan African Film Festival
Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival
Independent Film Festival, Boston
Sarasota Film Festival
San Diego Black Film Festival
International Black Film Festival of Nashville
Bushwick Film Festival
Harlem International Film Festival
Legacy Film Festival on Aging
San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
Oakland International Film Festival
Through Women’s Eyes International Film Festival