Miles, whose heritage is both Apache and Akimel O’odham, resides on the San Carlos Apache Reservation, a community of 6,000 in the eastern Arizona mountains. “I get most of my inspiration from my community, and I try to address the spirit of my community in my art.” says Miles.

His work depicts both Apache figures from generations past, as well as those of young Native Americans today. All are done in a contemporary style that was influenced by an early attraction to urban funk and graffiti art. A high school teacher saw his potential and steered his art into more productive venues than the street. He was later influenced by the brightly colored Japanese anime and manga art, an extremely popular style with youthful audiences.

Miles, a former social worker, very much wants to engage the younger generation and when not painting, works with the young people on the reservation. He is also the reservation’s liaison for Gettysburg College’s annual service learning trip there and has enjoyed connecting college students to his community. Because of this interest in inspiring the young, he also ventured beyond the confines of traditional mediums, such as the canvas, to paint skateboards.

Using a high-grade wood skateboard deck (no wheels or hardware), Miles sands off any sealant, then paints his design with acrylic. His original pieces are not used for skating, however, but find their way to numerous galleries in the Southwest, New York City, and, most recently, at the Linden-Museum in Stuttgart, Germany. Silk-screened replicas do make their way to skating enthusiasts. His work has spurred not only an interest in art in young people, but caused a resurgence of skateboarding on the reservation, where he even organized a skateboarding team. Miles also founded the first native-owned and operated skateboard company, Apache Skateboards (www.apacheskateboards.com".

Miles is the 2004-05 Canson Masters’ Circle Distinguished Art Educator. In 2003, he was named an “Artist to Watch” by Southwest Art Magazine and received the Heard Museum’s Best in Category Award and First Place for Mixed Media at the Santa Fe Indian Market. He was an Artist in Residence in 1997 at the National Museum of the American Indian/Smithsonian Institution in New York. Examples of his work can be found at www.geocities.com/douglasmilesstyle.