Hello, my name is Charles Miller. I go by the name of Chazz, that's my pen name. I didn't have anyone to mentor me when I was coming up, so that's been very important to me, to inspire others to follow their dream, despite their good jobs, and this type of community that just expects you to work a 9 to 5, and I think that's the only way to make it. But now Detroit has shifted to entrepreneurialship, and the arts are very important as far as that's concerned, so I'm really excited to be part of Detroit's transition. I'm so glad that art is a major part of that transition. 

When I paint, I feel free, I feel independent. I feel like I'm in control of my own destiny and my own space and time, my commitment has always been to teach young people the value of art, and also the community at large, the value of art, because you can't sell your art if the community doesn't recognize the value of what you're producing. So coming to Detroit, it was really important for me to start a public art program. And I would get everyone engaged in the production of art, thereby increasing their appreciation of their own environment and their surroundings through doing this art in public and it's not locked up in a museum.