The Yellow Rose Gallery’s 3rd Anniversary Show tonight will be the first chance for photographer Marcus Miles to show off his work in an exhibition, and he is up to the challenge. “It’s important to me. I’m excited about it,” Miles tells Madison365. “This will be fun.”
Locally owned and operated, Yellow Rose Gallery, 122 State Street, is the last private art gallery on State Street and features some of the finest works from inspiring local arts. Tonight’s event will be showcase a collective of artists from all different mediums.
“Yellow Rose Gallery is there to support artists like me who are just getting their feet wet and doing community-type work. A lot of the showings revolve around community-based issues,” says Miles, owner of Marcus Miles Photography. “The last one we had in February was a fundraiser for Black Lives Matter. So, it’s really community oriented and fits totally with what I do in my photography.”
The Yellow Rose Gallery’s 3rd Anniversary Show is a chance to give more visibility to some amazing, lesser-known artists in the city.
“I have about 20-30 images that I will have at the exhibit, a good balance of art and things that people might want to purchase,” Miles says. “All of my work done in community-based organizations will be reflected in this. Stuff I’ve done with Centro Hispano, Latino Chamber [of Commerce], NAACP Madison, Alianza Latina. It will be a nice opportunity to see a reflection in the community.”
Miles has been taking pictures since he was 8 years old. His dad was a photographer for the forensic lab of the Chicago Police Department. “I remember the dark rooms (google it, millennials) and I remember the Yashica box cameras and a lot of his different equipment. That was my first exposure to photography,” Miles says, adding, “no pun intended.”
Miles remembers his first real photography gig was with the Urban League of Greater Madison way back in 1990. “My sister was on the staff there and they were having their annual banquet and she told them that her brother takes photos,” Miles remembers. “[Mayor] Paul Soglin was there and I remember he told me that ‘you always have to look out for the people behind the scenes … that’s where the best photos are.’ And I still do that today. I look for those folks behind the scenes, behind the stars.”
Miles remembers that he had an old Canon T60 camera. “That camera was a workhorse. I made so much money from that camera. I think I brought it at Prange Way for like $90 back in the day,” he laughs. “I worked with the Urban League, NAACP, Judge Paul Higginbotham’s inauguration, Mt. Zion Church’s anniversary.”
Back then, it was a little more costly to be a photographer with the film, batteries, and paying for the processing of the photos. “And you think you got the great shot and it comes back two weeks later and their eyes are closed,” Miles laughs. “There was that air of mystery back in the day.
“There was the timing it aspect, too, so you didn’t run out of film during the big kiss or at the ring exchange,” he adds. “It was crazy back in the day.”
Through his photography, Miles got to meet civil rights heroes Julian Bond and Myrlie Evers-Williams along with basketball star Oscar Robertson and Richard Roundtree, who was famous for playing Shaft.
Miles’ son came along and he took a break from photography for a long time. When he was ready to come back, digital photography had taken over.
“I’ve worked with so many great community organizations – Urban League, NAACP, Literacy Network, Alianza Latina, Madison Community Foundation, Charles Hamilton Houston Institute, 100 Black Men of Madison, Inc.,” Miles says. “I’ve worked with the UW-Madison Black Student Union when they had their 50th-anniversary gig last year. I’ve worked with so many different groups. I consider myself to be a community photographer.”
Miles is at a lot of events where people are really dressed up and as he becomes more and more well-known, do people seek him out to take a picture?
“Yeah, I get that all of the time,” Miles laughs. “It’s a beautiful feeling when people are excited to have their picture taken. Sometimes at events, I will seek out older members of our community to capture a certain moment of someone who might not get dressed up like this every day.
“Or that reminds me of Rockameem Bell, who showed up for the first [Black Male] photo shoot in a sweat suit but then he made it a point to sign up for round two and he came back to show people how he really can get clean,” Miles adds. “He was dressed to the nines and I captured him beautifully. I love seeing that pride.”
Tonight will be the first time that Miles’ extensive photography work will be on display for the whole city to see. That makes him nervous and excited.
“There’s a little bit of trepidation about it ‘cause how do I represent all of my work in 30 pieces? There are so many photos that I want to use but I can’t … it’s just not possible,” he says.
“But it is exciting, too. I really work hard at what I do. I want to take my talent as far as I can take it,” Miles adds. “My approach to this is that I am really enjoying this and I just want to keep getting better and better. It feels good to have the support of the community for the work I do. I’m excited about it and I’m really excited about tonight.”
Check out Miles’ photos and a host of other talented Madison-area artists at the Yellow Rose Gallery’s 3rd Anniversary Show Friday, March 31, 7-10 p.m. at 122 State Street.
