| Mural by artist Marcela Lubian, located at 5 Maxfield Avenue. Photograph by Charlene Mitchell. |
Explore the new blog, “Public Art in Bisbee.” Created by Charlene Mitchell and Britt Hanson, the site features murals and other forms of public art in “Old Bisbee, Warren, and Surrounds.” From pieces you drive by regularly to others tucked away from plain sight, “Public Art in Bisbee” captures Bisbee’s creative spirit and love of art.
About the Creators
Charlene Mitchell’s lifelong love affair with photography began in childhood, when she captured her first images with an Instamatic camera. Inspired by her father, who documented family vacations in National Parks on movie film and encouraged her artistic pursuits, she developed a deep enthusiasm for the craft. At 19, a breathtaking visit to Mt. Tamalpais in West Marin, California, prompted her to purchase her first 35mm camera. Self-taught, she skipped formal classes and honed her skills through feedback from friends and fellow photographers.
Charlene relocated to the West Coast in 1980, spent five years on the Mendocino Coast, then moved to the photographic hub of Carmel-by-the-Sea, where she lived for 25 years and served as gallery director at Gallery Sur. Today, she lives and works in the quirky town of Bisbee, Arizona. After transitioning from film to professional digital SLRs, she now creates her fine art photography exclusively with an iPhone, embracing the evolving technology and honoring the legacy of the mentors who came before her.
Britt Hanson was born and raised in a small town in northern Illinois–land of corn and soybeans, punctuated by grain silos and church steeples, and billed as the Sweet Corn Capital of the World. After graduating from the University of Illinois with a degree in Economics, Britt attended law school and practiced law in Chicago for nine years. After too many Februarys in Chicago, Britt, his wife, and young son moved to Arizona. After serving as a prosecutor in Apache County, Britt served as Chief of the Cochise County Attorney’s Civil Division for the last twenty years of his career, living in the best little city in the world.
After retiring and feeling somewhat lost, Britt began volunteering at the front desk of the Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum. That started a second, treasured career of volunteer work in Bisbee, eventually becoming President of the Museum Board and Treasurer of the Bisbee Foundation. Work at the Museum led this history-focused lad deeper into Bisbee history: first, the history of Bisbee’s Best Year Round Climate sign, then into documenting a part of Bisbee’s much-loved art scene, its murals. The Bisbee Murals blog is the result.
Visit Public Art in Bisbee: https://bisbeemurals.blogspot.com/