Kelly Taylor Mitchell Studio Newsletter: April

Kelly Taylor Mitchell
April 18, 2024

Hi Y’all,

It is hard to believe we are two weeks away from the end of the semester. I am excited to pass along updates, from campus to studio, in this season of celebrating graduating artists and my 5th year of teaching at Spelman.

Tune In!

It was a joy to connect and share with Siima Itabaaza on her podcast, Kutimba with Siima. You can find our conversation here, we talk through studio practice, material power, and all things papermaking.

Kelly Taylor Mitchell, Pano Da Costa #1, 2024. Handmade paper, Flax base sheet, Georgia kudzu blow out, sequin tassel, confetti, napkin, image transfer inclusions. 22x30 in.

I Will Not Bend An Inch

It was an absolute honor to contribute to the exhibition catalogue for Nancy Elizabeth Prophet: I Will Not Bend an Inch, on view at RISD Museum through August 4th, then traveling on to a museum (perhaps) near you. I write about our shared histories as students The Rhode Island School of Design and L’École des Beaux Arts and as faculty at Spelman College, where Prophet left an indelible mark through her development of the sculpture program. Get your copy here.

Nancy Elizabeth Prophet.

An excerpt from Prophet’s papers on teaching at Spelman. Courtesy of Spelman College Archives.

Exhibition catalogue cover.

“Through original essays, catalogue entries on Nancy Elizabeth Prophet’s major works, and an illustrated chronology of her remarkable life, this book reframes Prophet’s powerful work and legacy.Co-edited by Ganz Blythe, Molon, and Solomon, this volume includes contributions by art historians Amalia K. Amaki, Horace D. Ballard, Sarah Elizabeth Lewis, Maureen O’Brien, and Stephanie Sparling Williams; artists Simone Leigh and Kelly Taylor Mitchell.” RISD Museum

Going, Going, Gone …

Kelly Taylor Mitchell, Fan Palm #1, 2024. Overbeaten flax base sheet, Georgia kudzu blowout, flax pulp painting, raffia and sequin tassel inclusions. 23 × 17in.

It was such a treat to teach, ‘Parts of the Whole: Quilting, Collage and Accumulation’, at Dieu Donné last summer. I am happy to be sharing Fan Palm #1 in their benefit auction, alongside so many papermakers I admire. View the works (and place your bids?!) here.

You’re Invited: Spelman Senior Thesis

A Home I’ve Never Been Before, the Spelman College 2024 thesis exhibition is on view at Echo Contemporary, located inside of Guardian Studios at Echo Street West (Atlanta, GA), from May 2nd through May 11th. Spelman and Morehouse art and photography majors have been preparing for this show for a year in our course Portfolio Criticism I & II — come celebrate! Gallery hours are Wednesday-Saturday, 12-5PM. We would also love to see you at the below events:

Opening + Artist Panel: 5/2 @ 5-8PM
Guided Tours: 5/4 @ 1PM
Closing + Artist Panel: 5/11 @ 4-6PM

With gratitude,