Dean Mitchell: Rich in Spirit
1
Gadsden Arts Center
July 29 - October 29, 2011
13 N. Madison Street | Quincy, Florida 32351 850.875.4866 | www.gadsdenarts.org
© Gadsden Arts, Inc.
All rights reserved. No portion of this catalog may be reproduced in any form by any mechanical or electronic means (including photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval) without permission in writing from Gadsden Arts, Inc.
Photography © 2011 Dean Mitchell Studios
Sponsored by Allen, Mooney, and Barnes Investment Advisors, LLC, Bell & Bates Home Center, and Tallahassee Community College Foundation
Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture
This project received financial assistance from VISIT FLORIDA and the Gadsden County Tourist Development Council
2
This is one of my most important shows at the Gadsden Arts Center. In it is a belief system; it is all we have as human beings in dealing with complex emotions of how we treat one another. Rich in Spirit expresses a belief in doing what is right with a moral compass with or without material possessions. The material is important now as we wrestle with fairness in our societies throughout the world. In my opinion, a person can have both. Material, sometimes in the hands of a wise person, lifts us all, but in the hands of a fool can lead to hurting huge numbers of us in the physical world as we know it. For me, trying to express these feelings requires thought with words and symbols. Feelings are very abstract and can change as we experience life with a balance.
Mitchell
3
“ “
Dean
forward y A
gainst All Odds: Artist Dean Mitchell’s Story is the title of an inspirational children’s book written by Quincy educator Betty James (a worthwhile read for children and adults alike!). “Against all odds” might characterize the quest for any artist to become renowned, or even make a living from their work. A person with an abundance of talent and a two-parent family that can easily afford a college education is not guaranteed success in the art world. In fact, most artists have that
“day job” that pays the bills while they “create” on the side. For artist Dean Mitchell, “against all odds” may even be an understatement. Yet he has achieved monumental success in the extremely competitive world of fine art.
From an early age, Dean Mitchell developed his love of art and a solid work ethic, and enjoyed dedicated moral support from important adults in his life. His grandmother Marie raised Mitchell in rural Quincy, Florida, while his mother Hazel attended college. Mitchell’s family had a small income. His grandmother taught Mitchell to live within his means, be thankful for what he had, and to work hard for what he wanted. From the age of 8, Mitchell went to work in the tobacco fields to help support his family. He also began painting at a young age – first with paint by number sets, and then on his own – and despite family concerns about his intention to become an artist, his passion for painting only grew as the years passed.
Mitchell’s high school teacher Tom Harris was an early champion, taking him to art fairs and competitions, in addition to helping him develop his skills in school.
As a student at the Columbus College of Art and Design, Mitchell’s early work ethic, hunger for learning, and genuine love for
4
painting fueled continued success. He earned money by selling his paintings as he went through school, and landed a job as an illustrator for Hallmark Cards upon graduation. Mitchell’s talent, clear vision for his career as a painter, prolific output, and ability to live within his means empowered him to leave Hallmark after a short period and focus on painting.
There remains an enormous difference between “making a living” by selling paintings and becoming one of the nation’s most highly regarded watercolorists. Although the former is difficult enough, Dean Mitchell has accomplished the latter. Mitchell has a sharp mind for marketing and business. His insatiable drive to express his view of the world through painting fuels an output that is matched by few painters today. He is also able to speak publicly, and individually, to any audience about his work in an irresistibly engaging way, his enthusiasm for painting contagious.
Dean Mitchell is also an extremely perceptive and thoughtful person. I have enjoyed many conversations with him since we first met in 2005. Mitchell has a rare depth of perception and philosophical thoughtfulness that fuels easy conversation about any number of topics, making hours disappear like minutes.
He soaks up all that he sees and feels around him and translates this into paintings with a richness of spirit that speaks to absolutely everyone.
And then there is Dean Mitchell’s painting itself. Mitchell has developed his talent over the years to create a style and voice that are uniquely his own. Mitchell’s style of realism captures an ethereal moment in time that is sure to evaporate in the next moment, preserved in paint for eternity. This realism is infused with passages of abstraction and rich layers of color and texture that are like the patina of an ancient Greek sculpture. His paintings are so beautifully composed that they tell their stories without the viewer’s conscious thought, automatically speaking to each of us on a soul-level.
So what is the secret to Dean Mitchell’s success? In short – that he is Dean Mitchell.
It is an honor to know Dean Mitchell, to watch his career continue to grow and flourish in the highest levels of the art world, and to share with you this new body of work, Dean Mitchell: Rich in Spirit. I hope you’ll enjoy the exhibition, return with friends, and enjoy it again and again.
Grace R. Maloy Executive Director
5
introduction y
In a culture that thrives on flamboyant, vivid, and often shocking imagery created to generate a visceral reaction, Dean Mitchell’s artwork contains tranquility. In a society that promotes superficial materialism, Mitchell’s values are subtle but genuine. And in a contemporary art world that values excessive size and novel materials, Mitchell employs traditional
methods on a comparatively intimate scale. It is in this fast-paced and extreme world that Dean Mitchell has made a name for himself as a contemporary American artist.
Rich in Spirit is an exhibition that will capture you: mind, heart, and soul. Mitchell’s paintings are a testament to his strong sense of self and community and his intense desire
6
to share his experiences, ideals of beauty and richness, and lessons passed down from his grandmother to the world. The people and places he paints mean something to Mitchell.
Growing up in economically disadvantaged Gadsden County, Mitchell learned early on that there was more to life than wealth and material possessions. His delicate portrait paintings depict stories, describing entire lives in one glance. Whether it is street musicians, retired workers, or members of Mitchell’s family, he treats his subjects with respect. Most often, Mitchell paints a solitary figure, usually one in the midst of contemplation. While there is stillness, it is matched by a distinct presence and power.
Unlike many realist painters, Mitchell doesn’t fuss with extraneous details; the backgrounds of most of his portraits are clean, sometimes just blocks of color, or a simplified surrounding, suggesting a building or a structure. By reducing the background’s importance within the painting, Mitchell highlights the relationship of his subjects to their environment. His figures are not surrounded by opulent wealth or beauty, but each manages to portray a dignity and courage that elevates their own situation.
While Mitchell’s paintings have a striking visual presence, his subjects are not the contemporary ideal of beauty. Instead, he captures the inner beauty, strength of character, and spirit in the individuals and places he is depicting. Whether Mitchell is painting a retired tobacco worker, a rundown city street, or even creating his most recent abstract collages, he injects a pride of self and community into each of his paintings.
Dean Mitchell wants you to look, to closely study his work so that you may understand the people and places he lovingly portrays. Take time to enjoy each painting, with its several layers of beauty and meaning, but also notice the quiet detail of his subjects and the care with which he painted them. About his subjects, Mitchell has said he has “to care about them.”
Most likely, after viewing this exhibition, you’ll care about them too.
Angie L. Barry Curator
7
8 contents y Foreward, Grace R. Maloy 4-5 Introduction, Angie L. Barry 6-7 Museum Collections 11 Solo Exhibitions 13-15 Recent Awards 16-17 Group Exhibitions 18-20 Publications 25-27 Catalog Images 28-29
9
10
museum collections y
The Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock, Arkansas
The Autry National Center, Los Angeles, California
Beach Museum of Art, Manhattan, Kansas
Canton Museum of Art, Canton, Ohio
Gadsden Arts Center, Quincy, Florida
Hubbard Museum of the American West, Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico
Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, Missouri
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson, Mississippi
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri
Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, Missouri
The Saint Louis Art Museum, Saint Louis, Missouri
11
12
solo exhibitions y
Canton Museum of Art, Canton, Ohio
Dean Mitchell: Space, People & Places
November 26, 2010–March 6, 2011
The Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art, Tarpon Springs, Florida
Dean Mitchell: Visions with Heart and Soul
February 21–May 2, 2010
Bryant Galleries, New Orleans, Louisiana
Lost Romanticism: paintings by Dean Mitchell
May-June, 2008
Cornell Museum of Art & American Culture, Delray Beach, Florida
Everything’s a Portrait: The Watercolors of Dean Mitchell
April 3–June 21, 2008
Greater Denton Arts Council, Center for Visual Arts, Denton, Texas
Imperfect Beauty, A Point of Reflection: Works by Dean Mitchell
January 18–March 2, 2008
Gadsden Arts Center, Quincy, Florida
Dean Mitchell’s New Orleans
July 25–September 28, 2008
University of West Florida Art Gallery, Pensacola, Florida
Dean Mitchell
January 12–February 9, 2007
Bryant Galleries, New Orleans, Louisiana New Work by Dean Mitchell
May 13–June 10, 2006
Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson, Mississippi
Backbone: Dean Mitchell’s Images of African American Men
November 5, 2005–February 26, 2006
American Jazz Museum, Kansas City, Missouri
Dean Mitchell: Art: My Window to the World 2004
13
Foothills Art Center, Golden, Colorado
Radiant Souls
2004
Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, Hilton Head, South Carolina
The Art of Dean Mitchell.... and All That Jazz
November 10–December 21, 2002
Beach Museum of Art, Manhattan, Kansas
A Dean Mitchell Anthology
October 13, 1996–January 19, 1997
Birger Sandzen Museum, Lindsborg, Kansas
Dean Mitchell
August 16–September 29, 1997
Portfolio Gallery, St. Louis, Missouri
Dean Mitchell’s Miniatures
2002
Morris & Whiteside Galleries, Hilton Head, South Carolina
Dean Mitchell
2001
Thomas Jacoby Fine Art, Cashiers, North Carolina
Dean Mitchell
1998
Lemoyne Art Foundation, Tallahassee, Florida
Paintings of Dean Mitchell
March 28–April 27, 1997
Lemoyne Art Foundation, Tallahassee, Florida
Dean Mitchell
April 1994
Wiregrass Museum of Art, Dothan, Alabama
Dean Mitchell
February 12–March 13, 1994
William Jewell College,
Liberty, Missouri
Dean Mitchell
1992
Visual Arts Center of Northwest
Florida,
Panama City, Florida
Dean Mitchell
1992
14
Greenwood Cultural Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Dean Mitchell
1991
Avila College, Kansas City, Missouri
Dean Mitchell
1988
Ringling School of Art and Design, Sarasota, Florida
Dean Mitchell
1986
15
recent awards y
2010
1. Salamagundi Club Annual Non Members Exhibition New York, NY., Dale Meyer Cooper Medal for watercolor
2. Adirondacks National Exhibition of American Watercolors 29th Annual Exhibition, Beechmont First Place and Gold Medallion, The Arts Center/Old Forge, NY
3. Tallahassee Watercolor Society – 1st Place
4. Georgia Watercolor Society National Exhibition – 3rd Place
5. Paint America 2009 – Grand Purchase Award Miniature Category
6. Southern Watercolor Society 33rd Annual Exhibition “Bronze Award”
7. American Watercolor Society 143rd Annual Exhibition NY, NY
“Silver Medal”
2009
1. Southern Watercolor Society 32nd Annual “Best in Show”
2. Tallahassee Watercolor Society 21st Tri-State Exhibition “Best in Show”
3. Transparent Watercolor Society of America 33rd National Exhibition “John Singer Sargent Award”
4. Salmagundi Club 32nd Annual Non-Members Exhibition
“Forbes Magazine Award”
5. Florida Watercolor Society 38th Annual Exhibition “Guy Beattie Award”
6. California Watercolor Association 40th National Exhibition
“CWA Signature Members Award III”
7. Watercolor West 41st Annual Exhibition “M. Graham Company Award”
16
8. Miniature Painters, Sculptors/Gravers Society of Washington, D.C. 76th Annual International Exhibition “Second Place Portraiture”
9. Allied Artists of America 96th Annual Exhibition “Dale Meyers Cooper Medal for Watercolor”
10. Keystone National 2009 Juried Works on Paper Exhibition “Phantom Canyon Ranch and Col Arts Americas Award”
11. American Artist Professional League 81st Grand National Exhibition NY, NY “Alma M. Preede Memorial Award”
12. Miniature Art Society of Florida 35th Annual International Exhibition “Second Place”
13. Philadelphia Watercolor Society 109th Annual International Exhibition of Works on Paper “Newman Galleries Award for Excellence”
14. Kansas Watercolor Society National Exhibition “Charles & Ruth Sanderson Memorial Award”
15. Kentucky Watercolor Society Aqueous USA 2009 “Preston Art Center/St. Cutherts Mill/Silver Brush Limited Award”
2008
1. Missouri Watercolor Society National Exhibition “Award of Excellence”
2. Seaside Art Gallery 17th International Miniature Art Show –Nags Head, N.C. “First Place”
3. Adirondacks National Exhibition of American Watercolors 27th Annual “Sallie and Gannon Kashiwa Award”
4. The Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers Society of Washington, D.C. 75th International Fine Arts Miniature “Third Place” – Watermedia
5. Salmagundi Club 32nd Annual Non Members Exhibition NY, NY “Thomas Moran Memorial Award”
6. American Artist Professional League 80th Grand National Exhibition “Frank C. Wright Medal of Honor” Watermedia
17
group exhibitions y
Art Museum of Southeast Texas, Beaumont, Texas
African-American Art:
Highlights from the Dr. Hervy Hiner Collection
January 23–April 11, 2010
Booth Western Art Museum, Cartersville, Georgia
The Black West: Buffalo
Soldiers, Black Cowboys and Untold Stories
December 22, 2008–March 22, 2009
18
Colorado Ballet, Colorado History Museum, Denver, Colorado
Salon d’Arts
2006
Jane Voorhees
Zimmerli Museum, New Brunswick, New Jersey
Inspired by Literature: Art and Fine Books
November 21, 2008–July 5,
2009
Museum of Fine Arts, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida
The Story
May 9–July 11, 2008
Nanjing Library Exhibition Hall, Nanjing, China
First Invitational
Exhibition of Contemporary International Watermedia Masters
November 19–December 2,
2008
Transparent Watercolor Society of America, Palatine, Illinois
2008 Exhibit
Strecker-Nelson Gallery, Manhattan, Kansas
2007 Kansas Masters
Invitational
May 4–June 16, 2007
Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson, Mississippi
Mirror, Mirror: Portraits and Self-Portraits
July 9–October 9, 2005
National Watercolor Society, San Pedro, California
National Watercolor Society
85th Annual Exhibition
October 15–December 11, 2005
19
Autry National Center, Los Angeles, California
Master’s of the American West 2005
ArtSpace, Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, Missouri
2003 Charlotte Street Foundation Awards
November 15–December 19, 2003
American Jazz Museum, Kansas City, Missouri
First Light
January–March 2, 2003
Miniature Art Society of Florida, Clearwater, Florida
MASF 2003 Annual
International Miniature Art Show
January 19–February 2, 2003
Brea Cultural Center, Brea, California
Watercolor West XXX
1998
American Watercolor Society, New York, New York
131st Annual Exhibition
1998
National Academy of Design, New York, New York
173rd Annual Exhibition
March 21–April 26, 1998
American Watercolor Society, New York, New York
130th Annual Exhibition
1997
American Watercolor Society, New York, New York
129th Annual Exhibition
1996
Federal Reserve Bank, Boston, Massachusetts
New England Watercolor
Society Annual
1996
Miniature Art Society of Florida, Clearwater, Florida
MASF 1990 Annual
International Miniature
Art Show
1990
20
21
22
23
24
publications y
Gangelhoff, Bonnie. Dean Mitchell: Rich in Spirit
Southwest Art Magazine, April 2011
Rose, Joshua.
The Space Within: New Dean Mitchell
Retrospective at the Canton Museum of Art
American Art Collector, October 2010
Collaborations: Two Decades of African
American Art: Hearne
Fine Art 1988-2008
Pyramid/Hearne
Fine Art Gallery, Little Rock, Arizona.
Exhibition Catalog, 2009
The Harriet and Harmon Kelley Collection of African
American Art: Works on Paper
Historic City Hall, Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Exhibition Catalog, 2007
25
Dean Mitchell
American Art Collector, Scottsdale, Arizona.
February 2006
The Watercolors of Dean Mitchell: Beauty in the Real Mitchell Studios, 2004
Dean Mitchell: Recent Paintings at the Red Piano
Art Gallery
Red Piano Gallery, Hilton Head, South Carolina.
Exhibition Catalog, 2001
Ake, Anne.
The Art of Dean Mitchell: The Early Years
Mitchell Studios.
Exhibition Catalog, 2002
Black Romantic: The Figurative Impulse in Contemporary African American Art
Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, New York.
Exhibition Catalog, 2002
26
Outward Bound: American Art at the Brink of the Twenty-First Century Meridian International Center, Washington, D.C.
Exhibition Catalog, 1999-2000
Ake, Anne, ed. The Art of Dean Mitchell: The Early Years Mitchell Studios, Overland Park, Kansas, 1996
Lehrman, Lewis B. Being an Artist F & W Publications, Cincinnati, Ohio,
1992
Hubbard Art Award: 1990 Pursuit of Excellence
Hubbard Museum of the American West, Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico.
Exhibition Catalog, 1990
Mitchell, Dean. Painting Your Heart Artists Magazine, 2008
The Watercolor Page: Dean Mitchell
American Artist 1989
27
Front Cover
Back Cover
page 1
page 3
page 4
page 6
page 8
page 9
page 10
page 11
page 12 (top)
page 12 (bottom)
page 15
page 18
page 19
page 21 (top)
page 21 (bottom)
page 22 (top)
page 22 (bottom)
page 23 (top)
page 23 (bottom)
page 24 (top)
page 24 (bottom)
catalog images y
Mr. Bradford, 2011, watercolor, 15 x 11 inches
Sounds of the Crescent City, 2010, watercolor, 11 x 15 inches
Pepper Hill’s Wilson House, 2011, watercolor, 5 x 5 1/2 inches
Moral Compass, 2011, mixed media, 15 x 20 inches
Willie Ward’s Body Shop, 2010, watercolor, 10 x 15 inches
Mr. Joseph Northern, 2010, watercolor, 34 x 24 inches
Making a Living on Jackson Square, 2011, oil, 15 x 10 inches
The Waiter, 2011, oil, 10 x 15 inches
Woman on Flute, 2011, oil, 10 x 14 inches
Rowena, 2011, oil, 14 x 11 inches
Sunshine in New Orleans, 2009, watercolor, 40 x 30 inches
Headed to Jackson Square, 2011, watercolor, 15 x 11 inches
Violinist, 2010, watercolor, 21 1/2 x 15 inches
Broken Wealth, 2011, oil, 20 x 19 inches
Crescent City Performance Artist, 2011, watercolor, 8 1/2 x 7 1/2 inches
Gulf Water Blues, 2010, watercolor, 15 x 10 inches
Performing for the Public, 2009, watercolor, 10 x 15 inches
Quincy’s Wilson House, 2007, watercolor, 40 x 18 inches
Back Road to Quincy, 2004, watercolor, 10 x 7 1/2 inches
Mr. Willie Ward’s Body Shop, 2011, watercolor, 16 x 12 inches
Barn, 2011, oil, 18 x 24 inches
Driftwood, 2008, watercolor, 30 x 15 1/2 inches
Overgrown, 2011, watercolor, 15 x 10 inches
28
page 25
page 26
page 27
page 29
page 30 (top)
page 30 (bottom)
page 31 (top)
page 31 (bottom)
page 32
Dollie, 2011, oil, 9 3/4 x 12 3/4 inches
Gordon, 2011, oil, 40 x 30 inches
Battling Alzheimer’s, 2011, oil, 13 x 16 inches
Lady in Harlem, 2011, watercolor, 11 x 15 inches
Weak, 2011, oil, 8 x 6 inches
George & Aaron, 2010, oil, 24 x 36 inches
Elouise, 2011, oil, 14 x 11 inches
The Gift of Sharing, 2011, watercolor, 10 x 15 inches
Southern Tobacco Barn, 2010, watercolor, 9 x 15 inches
29
30
31
Dean Mitchell: Rich in Spirit
32
Gadsden Arts Center
Quincy, Florida
www.gadsdenarts.org
