For the Love of Art | Mitchell Fine Art Gallery
Amongst the red sands, a lifelong love was found… and Fortitude Valley’s very own piece of the striking Aussie outback was born.
With breathtaking landscapes and a strong heritage culture, the Northern Territory outback impresses all who visits.
Growing up in the northern state, Mike Mitchell’s creative vision is driven by Indigenous art and culture.
This bold community culture has influenced Mike’s enthusiasm for the art industry, which has seen his passion turn to business with the launch of the Mitchell Fine Art gallery in the Valley.
Mike’s love for art is unmistakable as he shares his story with us.
“They say if you find something you love doing you’ll never work a day in your life,” he says.
Tell us about your history with art?
My relationship with art began at an early age.
Having grown up in Darwin, I was surrounded by aboriginal art and culture, which was part of my everyday life.
I’ve always been interested in art, in fact, I collected my first pieces at 10 years of age, which I still treasure today.
I took my passion for the industry and opened my first gallery over two decades ago.
For many years the gallery exclusively presented Aboriginal art.
These days, we have diversified into a whole range of genres and styles.
It keeps things fresh and interesting.
My passion for indigenous art continues to this day, but as I’ve been exposed to a larger industry and my interests have become much broader.
What is the concept behind the gallery?
The gallery features art and artists that I can relate to.
Every artist that we show has obvious artistic talent and an interesting background story, I am here to share their stories.
We have an incredibly eclectic group of artists in terms of style.
But all our artists are people that we have great relationships with.
These relationships are very important to us.
Why did you choose to open your gallery in Fortitude Valley?
We were originally located in the Northern Territory where I had a gallery in Darwin and Alice Springs.
As the business grew and a bigger, location was necessary and Brisbane became an obvious choice.
Brisbane is growing into an incredibly vibrant city with an exciting future that I wanted to be part of.
Having moved from a rural location, I am able to share the unique, exquisite designs with an inner-city demographic.
Fortitude Valley was a very specific choice - I wanted to be on Arthur Street and within a small distance from Brunswick street.
There is a selection of excellent galleries in this area and I wanted Mitchell Fine Art to add to the existing arts precinct.
Our space has a great spread and we are very happy with it.
Can you tell us about your upcoming exhibition?
We present a calendar of exhibitions of both established and emerging artists that changes each month.
This month we are showcasing the ‘Monochrome’ exhibition, which explores the enduring theme of black and white.
The exhibition presents artworks from a range of contemporary and Aboriginal artists who utilise the monochrome tonal effect.
The works are timeless and have a real sense of style and sophistication.
We are collaborating with interior designer, Claire Stevens, and local architect, Carolyn Mclean, who will style the gallery with funky furniture and striking artworks.
It will look amazing.
The ladies will also be hosting a panel discussion around ‘art in the home and the workplace’.
It allows guests to learn from the professionals - they won’t be disappointed.
The exhibition runs from March 8 - April 1.
We will be attending the free event on March 9 from 6pm - 8pm.
Come with us and see what surprises Mike and the team have in store.