It’s pretentious when journalists claim to ‘discover’ artists, because it minimizes the artist’s agency in developing their career. All the same, there’s a sense of pride when someone you’ve written about hits their creative stride.
I felt that pride witnessing OG Millie’s takeover. Back in January 2018, I wrote ‘Snatch the Crown,’ my lead article for the street art column I ran at OpenLetr. I chose Millie as the first artist on the roster for her talent, passion, and ambition. In the two years since, she’s been hustling her craft, developing her style and getting involved in a variety of art projects.
For those unfamiliar with the artist’s background, Millie grew up playing basketball, and transitioned to art amidst a series of transformative life experiences, particularly a several surgeries she had to undergo to repair a retinal detachment she suffered.
At the time, I wrote, ‘despite the OG in her tag, Millie is a young gun in the game. Rather, she sees the OG as referring to her ability to blend old school and new school. Vintage form with current sensibilities, pop-art meets street style. Most of her paintings focus on colorful representations of iconic figures… Looking at the decorative mirrors, I noticed something. The portraits had unfilled irises. She explained: “Canvases are filled in with color, but with mirrors, that’s the beauty of it, you see your reflection. It’s about living in the now. Wherever you go, you’re there, present, looking at yourself in the now.’”
2019 was a breakout year for Millie’s professional artistic career; she won the Governor’s Ball mural contest, curated Clinton Hall, served as creative director to Artel, a Bushwick based boutique hotel, as well as participating in numerous artist talks and live painting events. As she summarized, “this year was more about me expanding my curation skills and focusing on other artists beyond myself.”
“This year was more about me expanding my curation skills and focusing on other artists beyond myself.”
May proved a major month for Millie. At Clinton Hall, she recruited a talented array of artists including Dirt Cobain, Fluidtoons, JPO, Dylon Thomas Burns, and John Beijer. She was also featured in an exhibit at the Filipino consulate alongside the FOBBS crew. She rounded out the month by winning the Governor’s Ball mural contest, run by DoNYC. After placing in the top five thanks to public voting, Millie was chosen by the festival’s organizers as the winner.
On winning the mural contest, she told me, “After seeing it was a lot of local artists [competing in the contest], it became like the battle of New York. It was kind of a popularity contest. That’s why I was like, I’ll share [the voting link] and whatever happens, happens. But at the same time, a lot of people were supportive of my craft, and I really appreciate them for that. My dad was super supportive, he pushed everyone to vote – my aunts, uncles, family, friends. Without their support, I wouldn’t have been able to win.” She joked, “to be honest, it was a marketing scheme, too.”
“After seeing it was a lot of local artists [competing in the contest], it became like the battle of New York. It was kind of a popularity contest. That’s why I was like, I’ll share [the voting link] and whatever happens, happens.”
For the festival, she painted a three-story box mural of Nas’ classic album Illmatic. Accompanying the piece were a selection of her trademark mirrors. Describing the piece, Millie explained, “you just need to continue to master your craft and never stop exploring different avenues. I love incorporating mirrors and murals, because I don’t want to be just one or the other. It’s just a bigger canvas to me, so I experiment but also I still do the hand brush effect.”
For Miami Art Week, Millie drove down with Always Virtue, road-tripping the entire East Coast packed alongside a painted mannequin for their destination installation. Always Virtue and Millie had linked up initially in 2017, when the artist did a pop up with the upscale boutique that describes itself as “not just a brand, [but] an experience.”
The decision to go to Miami was a last-minute choice, followed by a flurry of action. “We’re the kings and queens of spontaneity,” Millie joked. Down in Vice City, Always Virtue released a ‘Love Africa’ jewelry line in collaboration with Young Paris alongside an art installation by OG Millie. Reflecting on the experience, Millie was most thankful for the ways it taught her to work alongside the team.
“It was learning to have a creative flow to the best of your ability without thinking it about it,” Millie said. Regarding the last-minute planning, she explained, “I work well under pressure.”
The year capped off with the Artel Soft Opening, which coincided with Millie’s birthday party on Saturday, December 21st. The event was the culmination of months of work. Artel discovered Millie through the Alicia Keys mural she painted on Dodworth Street in Bushwick back in 2017. After seeing her work, the owners invited Millie and the FOBBS to paint panels outside Brooklyn House Hotel.
“It was learning to have a creative flow to the best of your ability without thinking it about it,” Millie said. Regarding the last-minute planning, she explained, “I work well under pressure.”
Not long after Governor’s Ball, Artel brought on Millie and Harris Lobel as curators for the space. Early in the painting stages, Lobel enlisted Zimer and CrashOne to paint large scale murals in the hotel’s lobby and lounge area. Lobel later left the project while Millie stayed on.
Millie described her choice to work as Artel’s creative director because the hotel was designed on the idea of “anything and everything art. I wanted to be part of something fresh and new and that I could help build.”
As curator, Millie commissioned TakerOne to cover the six-story street facing façade of the building, as well bringing in Col Walnuts to paint the hotel’s yard. Inside, Millie brought on sets of artists who painted the hallways of each floor; the 2nd floor features Fluidtoons and Jaima Art, the 3rd is a Dirt Cobain and OuterSource collaboration next to Fridge, the 4th exhibits Liv LaRocca and @GoodWhatsBt, the 5th is Millie herself and Tana Torrent, while the 6th floor hosts Menace2Art and SenorMelon.
I had the opportunity to visit Artel several times during its construction, checking the progress at each stage of its development. Millie joked about the miscellaneous parts and building equipment laying around while artists painted. “This is an installation I’m calling ‘Seatbelts from Heaven,’” she said referring to polyester straps that hung from the ceiling, serving an unknown purpose.
By the night of the soft open, 90 percent of the work at Artel was finished. In the days leading up the event, Millie and the team worked hard assembling the essentials, bringing the bar together in less than two days.
As I walked into the party, a smoke-machine emanated a dream-like fog over the wide auditorium. The hazy den was populated by vibrant beanbag chairs and Millie’s entourage. In the center, near an elephant statue, was a space dedicated for Millie’s live painting. Above the fray, a VIP parlor hosted the DJ and a selection of Millie’s artworks. “It was me just celebrating life with the people closest to me,” Millie said regarding the birthday aspect to the event.
“It was me just celebrating life with the people closest to me,” Millie said regarding the birthday aspect to the event.
With the official full-open of Artel planned for February 2020, the young creative director has a lot of ambition for the space. “I’m planning on bringing in artists and groups for workshops and panels, and during the day the area will be a café for people to hang out and work. … A big thing for me is mental health advocacy, and I want to do projects involving that,” she explained.
2019 was a year that OG Millie focused a lot of her energy toward curating, bring to life projects as a creative director and putting on other artists. “Last year was building a foundation for other artists…. Going forward I want to do a solo show.” She quipped that the show would be called 20/20 Vision, a play on both the year and her eye troubles.
“Last year was building a foundation for other artists…. Going forward I want to do a solo show.” She quipped that the show would be called 20/20 Vision, a play on both the year and her eye troubles.
In 2020, OG Millie plans to invest more time into her own art, working to develop style and experiment with different mediums. For her prospective solo show, she is considering integrating an AR feature, so visits can experience the world as she did during her eye-surgeries. While much of Millie’s art has focused on replicating iconic celebrities like Jimi Hendrix or Biggie Smalls, she also painted her ‘body series’ some of which were influenced by past relationships.
“As an artist you should expand on your own experiences,” she said.
In the time I’ve known OG Millie, she’s come along ways. Still the artist remains humble, knowing the journey ahead. “I’m still finding a path and defining my own style and what resonates me. I’m excited for what’s to come.”
Still the artist remains humble, knowing the journey ahead. “I’m still finding a path and defining my own style and what resonates me. I’m excited for what’s to come.”
“For me, it’s more about expanding different avenues. If I do murals, I do murals. If I do mirror stuff, I do mirror stuff. Just never stop expanding. I eventually want to travel the world to do murals, to have different experiences and working with different brands. For me, art never stops.”
T.K. Mills is an art journalist based in New York City. After receiving a Master’s Degree in Global Affairs, he discovered a love for graffiti while backpacking through Cuba. T.K. has written for several art publications including SOLD, Global Street Art, and Arte Fuse and runs the street art blog, Well Pleased We Dream. Beyond art, T.K. loves reading and traveling.
Insta: @t.k.m85 // Email: tkmills85@gmail.com // Site: tkmills.com
