Alfred R. Mitchell (1888-1972) was an American landscape painter. He was an early California Impressionist painter. Educated at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, he was the president of the San Diego Art Guild and the La Jolla Art Association. He became known as the "Dean of San Diego County artists".

Early life

Alfred R. Mitchell was born on June 18, 1888, in York, Pennsylvania. He moved to San Diego, California in 1908 and studied with

Maurice Braun Maurice Braun (1877–1941) was an American artist who became known for his Impressionist landscapes of southern California. He was born in Hungary on October 1, 1877; however, by the age of four, young Maurice and the Braun family had migrat ...

in 1915. Mitchell won a silver medal at the 1915 Panama–California Exposition. He served in the United States Army during World War I. He enrolled at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 1916, and won the Cresson Traveling Scholarship and the Edward Bok Philadelphia Prize to visit museums in Europe in 1920; he graduated from the academy in 1921.

Career

Mitchell was the President of the San Diego Art Guild and the co-founder of the San Diego Museum of Art. He was a co-founder of the Fine Arts Society of San Diego in 1925. He was also the founding secretary of the Associated Artists of San Diego in 1929; it later changed its name to Contemporary Artists of San Diego. Mitchell was also the founder of the Chula Vista Art Guild in

Chula Vista, California Chula Vista (; ) is the second-largest city in the San Diego metropolitan area, the Largest cities in Southern California, seventh largest city in Southern California, the List of largest California cities by population, fifteenth largest city ...

in 1945. He was the co-founder and president of the La Jolla Art Association in

La Jolla, California La Jolla ( , ) is a hilly, seaside neighborhood within the city of San Diego, California, United States, occupying of curving coastline along the Pacific Ocean. The population reported in the 2010 census was 46,781. La Jolla is surrounded on ...

from 1951 to 1961. He exhibited his artwork at the San Diego Fine Arts Gallery from 1920 to 1927, and the La Jolla Library from 1923 to 1966. Mitchell became known as the "Dean of San Diego County artists".

Death

Mitchell died in November 1972.

References

1888 births 1972 deaths People from York, Pennsylvania Artists from San Diego Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts alumni American male painters 19th-century American painters 20th-century American painters 19th-century American male artists 20th-century American male artists {{US-painter-stub