Q&A with Artist Adia Millett
As we conceptualized the Little Free Antiracist Libraries for our community, an important component was engaging local Black artists who would be commissioned to transform the houses of books into functional pieces of community art. In researching artists across the Bay Area, we were delighted to discover Adia Millett and her incredible art. Her exhibitions have been shown across the country, and we were honored that she agreed to work on this project with us. And, now that her Little Free Antiracist Library has a permanent home in our community, we couldn’t be more grateful to share it with everyone else too.
Q: Can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you got started as an artist?
A: I have been making art for about 20 years. Originally from Los Angeles, I received a BFA from UC Berkeley and an MFA from Cal Arts. I have recently held solo exhibitions that include shows at The California African American Museum, The San Jose Quilt and Textile Museum and Traywick Contemporary. I have also been included in exhibitions at the Oakland Museum, The Museum of African Diaspora, PS1, The Studio Museum in Harlem, The Craft and Folk Museum in LA; The New Museum, The Museum of Contemporary Art in Atlanta; The Contemporary Art Center, New Orleans, the Contemporary Art Center of Virginia. I have had the privilege to teach at Columbia College in Chicago, UC Santa Cruz, Cooper Union in NY, and California College of the Arts. I currently live and work in Oakland, California.
Q: What drew you to this project with Rise Up Against Racism?
A: I thought this was an important project because consciously creating community awareness about diversity through storytelling is an important part of how we can heal hate. Any organization that is actively working to support this kind of change, is worth my creative time.
Q: How do you approach the connection between art and activism?
A: Art reflects culture. Currently more people are listening and have access to what creative minds have to say about society and its urgent need to uplift and unite.
Adia Millett with Rise Up Against Racism Co-Founders Sarah Foster, Meg Honey and Jenny Roy at the artist’s studio in Oakland, California.
Q: Where do you find inspiration?
A: I find inspiration in understanding how people relate to each other. I find inspiration in the natural environment and its ability to reflect back to us where we come from and where we are going.
Q: What was your process with this project? What were you inspired by?
A: I wanted to make something playful that would draw your eye as you walked past it. I wanted it to mimic a quilt or stain glass that you could imagine looking through. The ability to imagine seeing through something seems like a good metaphor for thinking about race. It is complex and ever changing.
Q: How can people learn more about you and your work?
A: The best way to learn more about my work or to contact me is to visit adiamillett.com