If you ask Miya Bailey what it means to be a hometown hero, he’ll tell you he doesn't look at himself like that at all.
“I’m in a situation where I can financially help other people. I’m supposed to do that. A king is supposed to take care of their village.”
The North Carolina-born artist and entrepreneur has called Atlanta home since 1994. In that time, he built his business, City of Ink, a tattoo shop that doubles as an art gallery located in Castleberry Hill Arts District. He’s leveraged his entrepreneurial success to give back through Peters Street Station, a community center that focuses on creating opportunities for Atlanta artists to leverage their work as a money-making endeavor, not just a hobby.
Bailey was one of 17 trailblazers honored as part of Atlanta United’s Spirit of 17 project. He sat down for a Q&A at Peters Street Station to discuss Black entrepreneurship, preserving visual arts in Atlanta and more.
How long have you been in art?
I’ve been involved in art my whole entire life, so I don’t remember the beginning of it. And my mom was always community-oriented, so it was always natural to do it.
I don’t remember when I started, it was always a part of lifestyle. Always been part of my family dynamic, so I never thought about it any other way.
What inspired you to start your business?
Poverty.
Growing up in the 80s, the era of George Jefferson, it was like that’s what you’re supposed to do–open your own business. I always looked at working for somebody else as secondary stuff. It just was never natural to me to work for somebody else.
What is the mission behind your work?
The mission behind my work is really to open as many doors as possible for as many young artists as possible. That’s basically it. It’s to open up doors, teach them how to be owners, teach them how to be bosses, teach them how to make money. And I lean towards artists that I see that are giving back to the community in some way.
Anybody I see with a lack of loyalty to their community, I really don’t deal with them, no matter how talented they are. I just go off of how somebody's vision matches my vision and that’s it.
What’s your goal for Atlanta moving forward?
My goal for Atlanta is to reshape the culture of Atlanta. To do my part in reshaping the culture of Atlanta, Georgia, that’s going to always be my forte.
Atlanta’s involved you in many things. When I moved down here, music was the focus, then you got sports teams, then you go this and you got that. All of these different things have been a focus. My number one thing is to make sure that the visual artists are a major part of why people come to Atlanta. So, to keep that culture alive in the metro city area, that’s my part.
Who are some of your local heroes?
I really love Coach K, because I’ve seen him come up. Curtis Daniel, the owner of PatchWerk, that’s like a major inspiration to me. Anthony Harper, owner of the Goat Farm Arts Center, major inspiration to me and great mentor. People like Charly Palmer, Kevin Williams, Gilbert Young, Jabari, those are big heroes to me. I like Cam Kirk too. I like Cam Kirk and the opportunity he provides for young photographers. I think that’s really dope. And he doesn’t talk much about it, he just does it by action.
What do you love most about Peters Street?
I like it, because we helped build it. The only person I knew here was Karl [Booker] with Off the Hook Barbershop. He’s like a staple in our community. I would say when it comes to Castleberry Hill, here’s our true president, in my opinion. He was the first one here. He has strong values. And you know barbershop talk. He’s always about making sure his community is in a better place.
How can Atlanta be even more united moving forward?
I think showcasing art collectors more. I think that’s the energy that we’re missing. We got a lot of artists, we got a lot of musicians, we got a lot of everybody. But the people that make everything go round are the people that purchase art. So, I would love to see more showcases on the actual art collectors.
Why do you call Atlanta home?
I call Atlanta home, because of the inspiration I got when I moved here. Being from North Carolina, this was my first time seeing Black people being free. Black entrepreneurship is what I mean when I say “free.” Like their destiny is in their hands. They’re not relying on anyone else to pay them or write their check. They’re working on getting it themselves and providing for their families. I just saw that and I was mesmerized, because in my hometown, I feel like there was only maybe two or three of us that were entrepreneurs in the Black community. But here, I see that everywhere.
I believe strongly that if you’re going to struggle, you might as well struggle for yourself.
What does it mean to you to be a hometown hero?
My number one thing is responsibility. If people are looking at you and they consider you a hero, then you’ve got to make sure that you understand that responsibility. You don’t have to be perfect. But, if somebody is looking at you and you’ve got a platform to express yourself, don’t waste your voice. Say something that’s going to be beneficial for your community and the people around you.
I don’t look at myself like that at all. I just look at myself doing what I’m supposed to do as a man. I’m in situations where I can financially help other people. I’m supposed to do that. A king is supposed to take care of their village. That’s what I’m supposed to do.
Black History is Atlanta History.
Atlanta United is celebrating Black History Month by highlighting the Black changemakers that have forged Atlanta into the city it is today, along with those who continue to carry the mantle of progress in our communities and our sport.
