Dean Mitchell Shares His Trials & Triumphs

Nationally recognized artist Dean Mitchell recently visited the Just in Time office to meet with the young artists in our community.  Dean shared his journey with JIT participants – taking them from the tobacco fields of Florida (where he worked as a youth) to his life as an award-winning artist.   

Dean was raised by his grandmother in Florida under impoverished circumstances; he worked in a tobacco field from the age of 8 to help make ends meet.  Creativity called to him and, armed with his grandmother’s teachings of resilience and hard work, Dean overcame struggles with mental health and the challenges of being a Black artist in the deep south. First an illustrator and then a watercolor and acrylic painter, Dean focuses his work on the elderly and on themes of neglect and isolation.  His work is now featured in museums and corporate and private collections across the country.  

Dean’s story of perseverance and journey to fame resonated deeply with Just in Time artists who have been developing their skills through JIT’s collaboration with San Diego Watercolor Society.  

A captivating storyteller, Dean graciously lingered after lunch to share the genesis of his first book and how he was shortlisted by the selection committee to paint the official Presidential portrait of Barack Obama.