MSU Extension Michigan ArtShare

Charles “Chazz” Miller is a life-long, Detroit based, community driven artist, muralist and teacher. He is an integral part of many of its neighborhood communities. In his public art works, he engages neighborhood residents with the goal to uplift and inspire community members to use their creativity, and foster their cultural pride. His process encourages them to stop looking and start seeing as they co-create a vision for their lives. Through this interaction and engagement, there’s an exchange and in that exchange Chazz’ artworks become a beacon voice of Detroit African American culture. His imagery is a passionate and accurate reflection of the historical struggle, cultural voice, and the daily life practices within Detroit’s neighborhoods. From this process, the imagery that Chazz creates is a mixture of pain, struggle, and endurance to hope and self-realization in a style he refers to as “Imaginary Realism” resulting from his public and fine art practice.

Charles Miller is a Fine Artist, Master Illustrator, Muralist and Teacher. He has a remarkable command of almost every style and genre in painting. He was one of the first African American billboard painters to achieve the top status of “heavy pictorial artist”. He was the creator and founder of the Artist Village Detroit, a haven for artists of all kinds to assemble and co-create their art. He founded Public Art Workz to promote art education and community beautification during Detroit’s darkest time of abandonment and blight. His exhibit schedule has included venues across the US and the world. In 2019, he was selected as one of Detroit’s 100 Remarkable Detroiters in “IDetroit, Human Atlas of an American City” and selected to create murals and mural memes on Puritan Avenue for the Detroit Neighborhood Arts project in partnership with Mural Arts Philadelphia’s pilot outreach program.