Steffen Thomas: Rock & Chisel documentary

Date and Time

Mon, Dec 15, 2025 - Tue, Mar 31, 2026

Location

any suitable location in the Midtown area. We are flexible with dates as well.

Midtown Alliance Event

Details

Good Afternoon,
My name is Brian Morgan and I am reaching out to you from the Steffen Thomas Museum of Art where I am a Board member.
A documentary film on the life of regional sculptor and artist SteffenThomas debuted on PBS affiliate WGPB in 2023. The film is titled "Steffen Thomas: Rock & Chisel." The documentary is written and directed by Georgia native and Emmy-nominated Jesse Stephen Freeman of Milk Crate Films. "Steffen Thomas: Rock & Chisel" is Freeman's second film to premiere on Georgia public broadcasting. The Museum has been provided a grant to partner with educational and cultural institutions throughout the state of Georgia to screen the film; and, we would welcome the opportunity to partner with Midtown Alliance and screen the film at an area location for the surrounding Midtown community and it's visitors. Is there a proposal process to submit such a request?

To date the film has been screened at Emory University in Atlanta and at Oxford College, Athens Cine Theatre, LaGrange College, The Halle Estate/Foundation, Alpharetta Arts Center, Berry College, The Hudgens Center for Art & Learning. Currently, we are scheduled to screen the film at Georgia State University, The Joachim Herz House in Covington and the Goethe-Zentrum Institute in Atlanta. The grant has been provided through the Halle Foundation.

If you are unfamiliar with the work of Steffen Thomas: he was a German immigrant who settled in Atlanta in 1930 and quickly became a prominent sculptor in the region. His public commissions include monuments and statues of government leaders, many of which remain on display in Atlanta, Midtown and throughout the state of Georgia. You may be familiar with a few of his works that can found around Midtown: the “Trilon” fountain sculpture at 15th and Peachtree Street (on the north side of Colony Square), marking the entrance to Ansley Park. Also, the Goat featured in the center of the banquettes at Bar Margot in the Four Seasons. Steffen Thomas was also a passionate advocate for human rights, both in his personal life and artistic practice. His work consistently reflected a commitment to equality, particularly for people of color and women. Notably, he spent years pursuing the commission for the Stone Mountain Park Memorial. His final proposal in 1953—centered on his lifelong theme, The Brotherhood of Man—was ultimately passed over in favor of the Confederate Memorial that stands today.

A short preview of the film can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NQDZ__nTJE

We’d love to explore the possibility of hosting a screening via Midtown Alliance and would be happy to provide more details and discuss logistics. Thank you for considering this opportunity to honor Steffen Thomas’s legacy.
Warm regards,
Brian Morgan
Board Member
Steffen Thomas Museum of Art
954-599-4763