David O'connell

The Art and Life of Atlanta Artist Wilbur G. Kurtz: Inspired by Southern History David O'connell

Nationally renowned Georgia artist and historian Wilbur G. Kurtz launched his career by founding the Pen and Brush Club of Atlanta in 1913. The transplanted Yankee quickly became a premier authority on Old South Atlanta--Margaret Mitchell personally selected Kurtz as technical advisor and artistic director for Gone with the Wind. A co-founder of the Civil War Round Table of Atlanta, Kurtz supervised the placement of more than four hundred historical markers in northeast Georgia documenting various stages of the Atlanta Campaign of 1864. Decades after his passing in 1967 at the age of eighty-five, Kurtz's legacy lives on through his murals and historic paintings on display in public buildings and private art collections throughout Atlanta and the South. Join author David O'Connell as he recounts the fascinating life and vibrant works of Georgia's preeminent artist-historian.