CLEVELAND — Green Light Tattoos and Art Gallery is a space where creativity has no limits. Brothers and co-owners Mike and Marcus Miller recall their early inspiration and how it led them to today.
"[Our journey] began as far back as I can remember — 5 years old, probably," Mike said. "I've been drawing ever since."
"It's been crazy, because when we were younger, we did draw a lot," Marcus added. "It's kind of, like, always been there and had to be awakened again."
The brothers partnered with co-owner Derek Black to bring their unique concept to life, but as Black explains, the process of tattoo artistry doesn't allow for a margin of error.
"It is one of the most difficult art forms if not the most difficult, when you get one shot to get it right," he said.
But these three owners and Cleveland natives put their best foot forward, starting with planning their shop in what they see as one of the greatest places for growth here in Northeast Ohio: the East Bank of the Flats.
"This location is probably the best location we could have found in the city, in my opinion," Mike told us. "We're in the heart of the city, the Flats, and we haven't even been here for a year, but you kind of can't miss it just because of the location."
"We're the first shop downtown in the Flats, on top of being Black-owned," Marcus said. "[I am] super grateful to not only be in this position, but to allow other artists to do their thing too.
In order to train up-and-coming artists for the profession, Green Light handpicks talent for a year-long apprenticeship to show them the ropes.
"I feel like here, it's like a family, like everybody gets along," current apprentice Corinne Ayanna remarked. "Everybody cares about everybody's wellbeing here."
"And even just on the art side of things, not just tattooing, just making sure we enhance our skills as artists," fellow apprentice Jaia Samara added.
Because every tattoo artist at Green Light also paints in other mediums, the Green Light space itself is a constantly evolving art gallery of each artist's work The team also hosting public art showcases, and even providing programming for beginners. Green Light works to infuse visual art into all forms of its ethos and this intentionality is felt throughout its staff – which say they celebrate not only art....but community too.
"It feels amazing because, I mean, a lot of us have been childhood friends and we came up together, for real," Arvel Myles Jr. said.
"I just really appreciate the group that we have in here," body piercer Dave Long noted. "Everybody really feels like a family in here."
Now nearly one year in operation, Green Light is making their mark, and their mindset is one that's here to stay.
"If you're thinking longevity, you know, [you] have to put the work in," Mike said. "You can't cheat the process."
Green Light Tattoos and Art Gallery will celebrate their one year anniversary on Aug. 6. Be sure to follow their social media pages for more information here and here.
Green Light Tattoos and Art Gallery brings its unique spin on ink to the Flats East Bank
