Born in New York City in 1965, Mitch Kern moved to Los Angeles with his family in 1977. He’s lived and worked in New York, California, New Mexico, Texas, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Louisiana, and Alberta—a cultural journey experience that’s reflected in his work. 

His early work for mainstream media in Texas, Maryland, and Washington DC evolved into a full-time teaching career. Exploring themes of identity and belonging in society and nature, his camera became a vehicle for social engagement, a process as important as the picture itself. He's taught at Penn State University, Central Missouri State University, Louisiana Tech University, and since 2006, at the Alberta University of the Arts.

He has an undergraduate degree in visual art from the University of Maryland and an MFA in Photography from Penn State University, but his real degree is belonging, a credential he's earned over a lifetime of traveling and developing survival skills.