By Mark Hinson
DEMOCRAT SENIOR WRITER
New Orleans has been kind to the artist Dean Mitchell, so he returns the favor often by making it one of his favorite subjects.
For nearly 25 years, Mitchell, who grew up as a poor kid in Quincy, has traveled to the French Quarter to paint its working people, authentic architecture and Creole soul.
"New Orleans has become a voice for me in my art," Mitchell, 51, said. "I fell in love with the city (after his first visit in 1984). New Orleans is just as culturally rich as the Harlem Renaissance with the music, the poetry, the art. It's all there. . . . It's just a haven that's rich for an artist."
Starting Friday, Mitchell's inspirational home and his real hometown will intermingle when the exhibition "Dean Mitchell's New Orleans" opens at the Gadsden Arts Center on the courthouse square in downtown Quincy. Mitchell will be on hand to give a gallery talk about his art, his upbringing and the Crescent City.
Starting Friday, Mitchell's inspirational home and his real hometown will intermingle when the exhibition "Dean Mitchell's New Orleans" opens at the Gadsden Arts Center on the courthouse square in downtown Quincy. Mitchell will be on hand to give a gallery talk about his art, his upbringing and the Crescent City.
"The body of work in this exhibition captures the spirit of the city both before and after Hurricane Katrina as we approach the third anniversary of this tragedy," gallery director Grace Maloy said. "(It's) a tribute to the people and culture of the region."
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