Arthur Roy Mitchell
Arthur Roy Mitchell [1889-1977] was a real Westerner. Born and raised in Trinidad, Colorado, as a young man he worked as a cowboy on a nearby ranch. All the while he would draw and sketch cowboys and horses, much like his predecessor the famous C.M. Russell. Coming back home after serving in World War I, he worked as an illustrator and became good friends with the Californian artist, Harold Von Schmidt. They traveled together to New York City to study with Harvey Dunn, who was an important American teacher and fellow Westerner. In later years, Mitchell often had Dunn, Von Schmidt, and other great Western artists as guests in Trinidad. Mitchell loved history and recognized that preservation of that history was a part of his calling. To that end he donated much of his work and memorabilia to the city of Trinidad before his death in 1977. Mitchell once summed up his legacy: “You look over the back trail and you see the fine friends you’ve made and you see that you’ve managed to make a living doing something you really loved, so how could anyone ask for more?’
