Charles Dee Mitchell Collection

The Charles Dee Mitchell Collection was donated to the Dallas Museum of Art Archives as part of the History of Contemporary Art in Dallas research project, funded by the Texas Fund for Curatorial Research. The collection consists primarily of materials Mr. Mitchell has collected over the years through his interest in art activities in Dallas and his relationships with artists in Dallas and throughout Texas. The collection does not include the personal papers of Mr. Mitchell; records of his curating; records of critic/reviews writing; or any of his literature activities.

The collection was arranged in five series: Publications, Correspondence, Artist Work, Writings, Dee's Art Works.

The Publications series contains serials covering the Dallas art scene, newsletters of local art organizations, and other publications with articles or literary work by local artists. This series also includes published museum and gallery exhibition catalogues of either local or Texas exhibitions, or exhibitions by Texas artists elsewhere. For this collection, the exhibition catalogues had to include and essay or other narrative text to be considered a publication. Publications are arranged alphabetically by title and date or issue within. This series contains oversize items housed separately which are listed outside of the alphabetical series.

The Correspondence series consists primarily of handmade cards sent to Mr. Mitchell by artist friends and gallery owners. There is a small amount of formal correspondence. The cards are arranged alphabetically by sender. This series contains oversize items housed separately which are listed outside of the alphabetical series.

The Artist Work series contains both images of artist work and art objects. The images of artist work are in multiple formats, including color 35mm slides, transparencies, black and white prints, and digital images on CD. The art objects are artists books and small three-dimensional pieces. Items in this series are arranged alphabetically by artist if foldered and housed in a standard archival box; three-dimension objects are housed in an oversize box.

The Writings series contains copies of publications written by or including essays by Dee Mitchell. Publications date from 1991-2008. These may be books, brochures, or contributions. Writings are arranged alphabetically by artist last name or title for thematic exhibitions. This series also contains a personal journal with scattered entries dating between December 2003 and May 2010.

The Dee's Art Works series a mix of pieces created by Dee. The largest is a set of 12 inch squares, painted in layers building up the thickness of the square. Squares are in various solid colors. There are also abstract pieces painted in different media on paper and cardboard. The series also includes Polaroid pictures depicting: interior views, many featuring the floor and a cat; exterior residential views; commerical buildings and highway exterior views; mixed textile piles; photos of bodies and/or body parts (clothed); artistic shots; and photos of larger-size charcoal drawings by Dee.