By Alexis LaRue
AFRO Intern
alarue@afro.com
Tom Miller Week returned to Charm City for a sixth year this month. The celebration began Feb. 15 and lasted through Feb. 22. Each year creatives, activists and supporters use the time to honor the artist who infused the color and feel of Baltimore into his work.
Tom Miller Week is hosted by Blackives, founded in 2002 by Deyane Moses to “provide Black communities with research, archival expertise and design services.” But this year, the focus is all on ensuring the opportunity for future generations to enjoy Miller’s work.
“The murals need to be preserved,” said Moses.
Of special note, is the mural that stands at the intersection of North Avenue and Harford Road. Titled, “However Far a Stream Flows, It Never Forgets its Source,” Miller created the mural in 1991.
“Its a historical landmark in Baltimore. When it’s gone…it’s gone,” said Moses. “It’s very early, but we want to make sure the community knows what we want to do.
Blackives, Friends of Tom Miller and other archivists are in the beginning stages of a major effort to raise funds that will go to preserving the work enjoyed by residents and tourists each day.
On Feb. 18, the organizations and those interested in the campaign convened on Zoom to discuss a call to action to preserve the murals and the early stages of the restoration process.
During the meeting, community members and family members got to reflect on their memories of Tom Miller. Baltimore City Councilman Jermaine Jones (D-District 12) also reflected on the murals and what community members should do in order to keep the murals alive and well.
“Tom Miller’s work captures everyday Black Baltimore with color, honesty and humor,” said Councilman Jones. “City leadership has a role in supporting that work by connecting stakeholders, elevating community priorities and creating conditions for stronger collaboration.”
The community call was all about action, taking the necessary steps and bringing community leaders together in order to preserve the legacy that Tom Miller left behind.
Who was Tom Miller?
Tom Miller was a Baltimore-born multidisciplinary artist who created colorful sculptures and murals. He often found creative inspiration in some of the unlikeliest of places, and made a name for himself bringing new life to old and discarded furniture.
Creating the “Afro Deco” style, Miller merged certain items from his childhood as well as drawing inspiration from African-American stereotypes. According to information released by the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture, the “Afro Deco” term was used by Tom Miller to describe his art furniture adorned with African American themes and characters and reminiscent of the Art Deco style of the 1920s and 1930s.”
Black memorabilia was also a source of inspiration for Miller, especially of those that were found in Europe due to their “different flavor than their American counterpart,” according to Blackives.
Miller became the first African-American artist to have a solo exhibit at the Baltimore Museum of Art. After causing a sensation in the city’s art scene by selling every piece to be presented for his graduate thesis show at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), he was signed by the G.H Delshimer Gallery.
Soon after, his work was shown to many museums and galleries across the country, resulting in private curators and collectors waiting years to acquire one of his pieces.
Miller was enjoying a successful career when he received an HIV diagnosis in 1989. Using his art, he conveyed the realities of his mortality and developed deeper pieces.
One of Miller’s last art pieces, entitled “Rockin’ at Heaven’s Gate” (1994), was created as he wrestled with AIDS virus. The art piece not only reflected where he was from, but where he hoped his final resting place would be.
Miller died at age 54 in 2000, leaving the legacy of his works behind.
How was Tom Miller Week started?
Tom Miller Day began in 1995 after a declaration by Baltimore Mayor Kurt Schmoke. The Mayor was impressed after Miller had two solo exhibitions. The day expanded into Tom Miller Week in 2021 by Moses and members of the Blackives team.
Moses, who also serves as director of programs for Afro Charities, shared her thoughts on why it’s important to create a week where Tom Miller could not only be remembered for his work, but celebrated as an artist around Baltimore.
“Restoring his work is all about honoring his legacy,” Moses said. “It ensures that younger generations can also discover and encounter his art during this lifetime.”
David “Rufus Roundtree” Miller, a Baltimore-based musician and nephew of Tom Miller, spoke about his early life and reflected on his uncle’s life and personality. .
“My Uncle Tommy [Miller] taught me color and how to appreciate the tones of it,” said Roundtree, adding that his uncle found inspiration in everyday items.
“Sometimes it would be watermelons or different things like that, but they would be so bright. It affected my particular palette, how I started to see things and how I paid homage to him.”
Roundtree said Miller used art to portray stories that now carry his legacy on after his death.
“He was just so bright and vivid through his palette. He was a vivid storyteller. You could see his life and how it was reflected through his artwork. It was something that could be seen throughout the entire city. My uncle is impacting and influencing so many other people.”
What’s Next?
Tom Miller Week will now be stewarded by Friends of Tom Miller, a Baltimore-based community organization dedicated to preserving and protecting the legacy and public artworks of the Baltimore artist.
In their immediate call to action, they ask for any one who enjoys the work of Tom Miller to sign a petition to preserve the life and legacy of the murals as well as encouraging others to do the same.
By June 1, they hope to reach 1,000 signatures to not only affirm the cultural and historical significance of the mural, but to help it remain visible and accessible for future generations to come.
For more information on becoming a Friend of Tom Miller or signing the petition to restore his murals, visit the following websites. Become a Friend of Tom Miller and Restore the Source: A Community Call to Preserve Tom Miller’s Murals