Every other year, New Times puts the spotlight on Phoenix's creative forces — painters, dancers, designers, and actors. Leading up to the release of Best of Phoenix, we're taking a closer look at 100 more. Welcome to the 2016 edition of 100 Creatives. Up today is 34. Douglas Miles.

Douglas Miles has figured it out: how to be in two places at once.

With every mural, painting, and collaborative project he works on, the 53-year-old artist and founder of Apache Skateboards bridges the present with the past.

"I thinks it’s a combination of Native history and resistance through a street-art graffiti sensibility," he says, describing his acclaimed work. He draws inspiration, he says, from "people, Apache history, good art, music, and movies that bring reality to life in new ways."

Beyond sheer talent and a strong point of view, this duality, the ability to blend contemporary issues with the historical, has earned him a national audience far beyond the San Carlos Apache reservation just east of Globe, where he lives.

Last December, Miles painted a mural in New Orleans as part of Amnesty International's Art for Rights effort. He collaborated with Ethan Hawke and Greg Ruth, who created the New York Times bestselling graphic novel Indeh: A Story of the Apache War, to make limited-edition skateboard decks highlighting the book's story and art. A few months back, he painted a mural for the Point CDC in the South Bronx neighborhood known as Fort Apache, working to bridge a gap between that New York neighborhood and the Arizona community with which it shares a name.

Miles has found success at home in Arizona, too, where MonOrchid presented a retrospective of his work back in 2014. More recently, he painted an expansive mural called Let's Get Free for Bentley Gallery in Phoenix's warehouse district as part of the springtime mural event Paint Phx 2016. At the time, Miles explained, he was bridging another gap: the one between the fine art establishment and its surrounding working-class neighborhood.

Next up? He's working toward the Indigenous Fine Art Market with John Torres in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and participating in the Many Rivers to Cross Music Festival in Georgia this October. On the homefront, he says he's always working on new pieces, the next happenings for Apache Skateboards, and the latest with his anti-stereotype project, What Tribe.

Besides raising his "amazing crew" of four kids, the artist says, his greatest work is yet to come.

I came to Phoenix with my mom, Marjorie Miles, and my dad, David Miles, in 1963.

I make art because when I was little, I watched my older brother Duane Miles, and I wanted to be cool like him.

I'm most productive when I’ve just had my coffee, eggs, and tortillas, and hear the quiet hum of res life and when I get an amazing idea, concept or cause.

My inspiration wall is full of Bruce Lee, Humphrey Bogart, Allan Houser, Oscar Howe, Bootsy Collins, C.S. Fly, Apache Wars, Kraftwerk.

I've learned most from my mom, older brothers and sisters, raising my own family of four, and never quitting.

Good work should always be the things you enjoy the most. Good work is its own reward, consistent; speak loud and voice opinions that are unpopular but needed.

The Phoenix creative scene could use more Douglas Miles & Friends : )

The 2016 Creatives so far:

100. Nicole Olson

99. Andrew Pielage

98. Jessica Rowe

97. Danny Neumann

96. Beth Cato

95. Jessie Balli

94. Ron May

93. Leonor Aispuro

92. Sarah Waite

91. Christina "Xappa" Franco

90. Christian Adame

89. Tara Sharpe

88. Patricia Sannit

87. Brian Klein

86. Dennita Sewell

85. Garth Johnson

84. Charissa Lucille

83. Ryan Downey

82. Samantha Thompson

81. Cherie Buck-Hutchison

80. Freddie Paull

79. Jennifer Campbell

78. Dwayne Hartford

77. Shaliyah Ben

76. Kym Ventola

75. Matthew Watkins

74. Tom Budzak

73. Rachel Egboro

72. Rosemary Close

71. Ally Haynes-Hamblen

70. Alex Ozers

69. Fawn DeViney

68. Laura Dragon

67. Stephanie Neiheisel

66. Michael Lanier

65. Jessica Rajko

64. Velma Kee Craig

63. Oliver Hibert

62. Joya Scott

61. Raji Ganesan

60. Ashlee Molina

59. Myrlin Hepworth

58. Amy Ettinger

57. Sheila Grinell

56. Forrest Solis

55. Mary Meyer

54. Robert Hoekman Jr.

53. Joan Waters

52. Gabriela Muñoz

51. ColorOrgy

50. Liz Magura

49. Anita and Sam Means

48. Liz Ann Hewett

47. Tiffany Fairall

46. Vanessa Davidson

45. Michelle Dock

44. Nia Witherspoon

43. Monique Sandoval

42. Nayon Iovino

41. Daniel Davisson

40. Andrew King

39. Michelle Moyer

38. Jimmy Nguyen

37. Tiffany Lopez

36. Kristin Bauer

35. Donna Isaac

