DOUGLAS MILES & APACHE SKATEBOARDS


Douglas Miles ( fine artist) and Apache Skateboards ( AS) is art and
about the making of art. AS is not a gimmick, marketing stratagem,
cliche, stereotype, or vanity project. AS is the new way art is being
made. The success of AS has come about
because of the way AS see themselves fitting
into the (art) world. It has also come about by the way
 they do not fit into traditional artistic agendas.

AS is part of a viable art movement
 (and may have started one as well).
Lowbrow, pop art, native pop, street art, skateboard art, are
just a few of the labels ascribed to the work of Douglas Miles and AS.
They have created their own forms
and
projects to meet the need for art devoid of
 the "cult of personality" aspect so prevalent
 in the art world. AS is about raw creativity in
varied forms.  The AS "team" consists of thinkers,
filmakers,writers, photographers, skateboarders
 artists and designers.

AS works continually in film, photography, fine art,
 skateboarding, murals,multi-media projects,
 community projects, skate park planning,
skateboard events, apparel design, television, film,
youth conferences and
speaking engagements.
The documentary: Walk Like A Warrior /
The Apache
Skateboards Story is ready
 for release and film festival screenings.

Short films directed,
written and produced by the AS "team"
 detailing current music- art projects and
skateboarding are posted
regularly online.


The work of AS has been well documented.
The fine artwork of Douglas Miles is inextricable from AS projects.
The links below attest to AS/Douglas Miles' contribution
 to the field of art, native art, skateboarding, and
the Indian community.

Not an exhaustive listing but meant as a
reference point for others to research AS and it's work.
It is difficult to confuse AS with any other
organization(s), AS continually, and consistently
  creates new works  and projects around skateboarding
 (but is not exclusive to skateboarding).
Museums, schools, galleries, skateboarders,artists
and communities ( Native and non-Native)
 all play a role in the AS movement as AS takes
 art to "the people", making it accesible.

AS has worked with: The Gila River Tribe ( twice), Salt River Pima Maricopa,
Red Lake Nation ( Ojibwe), Navajo Nation (twice)
White Mountain Apache Tribe , San Carlos Apache Tribe , Chemehuevi Tribe ( CA), Agua Caliente Tribe/Warm Springs (CA)
 ( twice) ,Tohono O'Odham Tribe, Jicarilla Apache( NM)
 Gallup UNM, Princeton( NJ) Brown University ( RI)
Harvard( MA), IAIA Museum, Santa Cruz Museum of Art History ( CA),
 The Peabody Museum ( MA) and soon, the Mashantucket Pequot Museum( MA).

Apache Skateboards ( the art of) are now in the permanent museum collections of: The Montclair Museum ( NJ) The Eiteljorg Museum ( IN),
 The Institute of American Indian Arts Museum ( NM) and
The National Museum of The American Indian
(DC). Apache Skateboards have been featured in
numerous gallery shows and museum exhibitions since 2003
 as well as The Art Train USA project.


Amazingly almost no curators or cultural workers have written about
(or requested info from ) AS. Thus it falls upon AS to further
establish
in it's own words, thier role and contribution in the larger arts community.
The DIY ( do-it-yourself) ethic was /is prevalent in the punk rock and
hip-hop movements. The DIY ethic plays a major role in the AS
 movement as well.

For too long Native art has been viewed as "primitive" due to
hierarchical points of view. This has served to directly and indirectly
demean Native art constructs and techniques. This labeling process
serves to deny the innovative ingenuity and aesthetic power of
various tribal (art)forms. Native artists must identify thier own
work without regard for categorizations via archeological
 or anthropological viewpoints.
 These schools of thought have continually served
 as ways for ( Native) artforms to be theoretically " hi-jacked".
 This "hijacking" creates a " pristine lens of the past"
through which all Native art is now viewed. This makes
it
difficult for "modern" art forms to gain recognition
and or acceptance. At this stage in history it is
 extremely important with regard to cultural
 and intellectual property to establish the AS
 work record. Various venues have already
emulated/attempted similar themed programs without
 mentioning/listing the work(s) of AS as
 a contributing factor.

AS looks forward to working with curators, writers, galleries,
museums, communities and print/web media.
This article is written in an effort to better inform
cultural workers, museum staffers and those who work
 in the field of( Native and non-Native) art about AS.
AS is creating the context within which thier work can be more
effectively and actively viewed and respected in the
here and now.

LISTS

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=34129&l=b30a2&id=837872489
APACHE SKATE TEAM

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=45421&l=326eb&id=837872489
DOUGLAS MILES
ART

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=24904728
APACHE SKATEBOARDS ONLINE

http://www.youtube.com/user/apacheskateboardsOG
APACHE ON YOU TUBE

SITES
www.apacheskateboards.com
www.myspace.com/apacheskateboards
www.myspace.com/douglasmilesoriginal
www.myspace.com/apacheskateblast
www.thenativeagents.com

Douglas Miles