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 journey that’s reflected in his work. 

Exploring themes of identity and belonging in society and nature, he uses his camera is a vehicle for social engagement, a process more important than the picture itself. 

His undergraduate degree is from the University of Maryland and his graduate degree from Penn State University, but his real degree is social belonging, a credential he's earned over a lifetime navigating natural and cultural divides.

He's taught at Penn State University, Central Missouri State University, Louisiana Tech University, and since 2006, the Alberta University of the Arts.