Surel Lee Mitchell

SUREL LEE MITCHELL, FORMERLY OF POTTSTOWN Surel Lee Mitchell was born December 4, 1944 to Ulek and Nettie Tosher in New York City. She passed away at home in Boise, Idaho on October 10th, six months after being diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. When she was two, the family moved to Pottstown. Surel Graduated from Pottsgrove High School and attended Penn State University; in 1964 she moved to Los Angeles to be close to the Pacific Ocean. Surel married Winston C. Mitchell in 1967, and their children, Stephanie and Rebecca were born in 1971 and 1974 respectively. An initially traumatic move away from the sea to Boise in 1977 became what was to be a turning point for the artistic vision that permeated her life and community. Though she was a self-taught, prolific, and accomplished artist, Surel desired and earned a formal Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Boise State University in 1992. In addition she was a long-time docent at the Boise Gallery of Art and worked to grow it into a full-fledged museum, eventually serving as a member of the museum board. She was also a member of the Boise City Arts Commission and the Garden City Arts Commission. She helped create the Boise City Visual Chronicle and contributed a piece in 2002. Her extraordinary artistic work culminated in the Idaho Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts in 2000 and the Boise City Mayor's Award for Excellence in Arts and History, 2011 Individual Award for Excellence in the Arts. In addition she was an active member in many community art projects including Modern Hotel installations, Project Loca, and Boise Open Studios Collective (BOSCO). Her work has been exhibited extensively, including in New York, Washington, DC, and Kuala Lumpur, and it is in private and corporate collections throughout the country. Her art has helped many people see the world; through painting, mixed media, sculpture, and installation art Surel has created important works that bring beauty to the world through color and social and cultural commentary. Surel was the best kind of teacher. Without being pedantic, Surel showed us how to live the best life. She naturally attracted people of all backgrounds and could bring them together. It didn't matter who you were, what you did, or where you came from; she took people at face value and embraced everyone. The fact that she lived on her own terms in her own way is what attracted all of us to her. She was a force for artistic, familial, and civic collaboration, inspiring people to come together to make something beautiful, whether it was beautiful conversation or art installation. Over many years, Surel accommodated myriad health issues, exemplifying heroic coping skills, showing the rest of us that life is always worth living. Her absence is an immeasurable loss for her family and community alike, but Surel's spirit will continue to inspire our lives through Surel's Place, a non-profit live/work artist in residency space for artists of all disciplines. Her home will nurture emerging artists in the same way it has nurtured her and our family. In lieu of flowers, we invite you to donate to the Surel's Place. Donations can be sent to Surel's Place, c/o Rebecca Mitchell, 1943 Biltmore, Apt. A, Washington, DC 20009. The family wishes to thank all of Surel's friends for helping her live the fullest life possible over her last months and weeks. Your steadfast love, conversation, laughter, tears, meals, stories, hugs, kisses, yard work, and gifts were constant reminders of why her life in Boise was perfect. In recent months, Surel frequently told her daughter, Becky, that she "wanted for nothing," she had everything she ever wanted - a home, a family, dear friends, art, color, the river, and four seasons. Her smile and sense of humor were magnetic. Surel is survived by her husband, Winston Mitchell; daughter, Stephanie Mitchell; daughter, Rebecca Mitchell; son-in-law, Samir Kelada; older sister, Binni Ipcar (Brooklyn, NY); younger brother, David Tosher (East Hampton, NY), and younger sister Vicki Tosher (Denver, CO); brothers-in-law, Paul Corell and Perry Keen; sister-in-law, Jennifer Cross; nieces Julie Ipcar and Hallie Tosher, and nephew Matthew Ipcar; cousin Joni Reid (Palo Alto, CA), and close friends Francis Litvin (Audubon, PA), Andrea Altmayer, and Karen Bubb.