Valencia Miller or “ Miss V’ as she is known to her clients made history in 2014 when she became the first Black female to own and operate a tattoo shop in Missouri. The artist has been in the industry for over two decades, beginning as a tattoo designer in high school.
And now her new shop Onyx Dagger Tattoo Gallery in Lafayette Square is bringing some edge to the south city neighborhood.
Miller’s clientele reaches across national and international borders. In 2015 she was inducted into the National Tattoo Association.
“This was the most amazing thing for me,” said the artist.
The tattoo gallery owner believes tattoos are a form of expression. She said it’s art on a blank canvas, and 80% of her body is covered in artwork. It’s safe to say ‘Miss V’ knows all things tattoos.
Miller’s first shop, Ink Gallery, was located at the intersection of Jefferson near Gravois. The proclaimed ‘Army Brat’ says that part of south St. Louis has much potential, calling it “a diamond in the rough.”
She opened the shop there, however crime in that area has been increasing at a high rate. She noted that her out-of-state and international clients were uncomfortable coming to the neighborhood.
Miller closed the Ink Gallery doors in 2016, left the industry, and studied abroad in Beijing. She received her Bachelor of Arts with an emphasis in painting from SLU in 2018.
Having mentors such as Anna Paige Funk and Wiona Martin, two of the top female tattoo artists in the world, led Miller to return to the business. She opened Onyx Dagger Tattoo Gallery in 2021.
Miller’s tattoo gallery offers more than a consultation. She wants clients “to really think about the image of what they are trying to portray through the tattoo.” She also reminds them it could be a permanent decision.
“I have almost my whole body covered in art, and I am pretty sure 40-year-old me feels a little different about some of the tattoos I got when I was in my 20s,” said Miller. “I ask my customers, ‘will 80-year-old you want this tattoo?”’ She said her store, “is not a production shop.”
She keeps her artistry first and will not do a tattoo that will compromise her standards “just for money.”
One of her rules, that most tattoo shops don’t have, is that she will not do “can’t get a job” tattoos. These are tattoos on the face, neck, and hands – unless you’re a rap artist or tattoo artist.
After Miller moved to St. Louis and started working in local tattoo shops, she noticed the lack of experience many artists had in tattooing people with dark skin. She saw how uncomfortable they were when explaining how certain colors would look against their skin tone questioning whether the tattoo would be visible.
She referenced Jacci Gresham, who recently retired from tattooing and is the first Black woman to be inducted into the National Tattoo Association. Miller says having more tattoo artists of color will help make the experience of Black and brown people more enjoyable.
“I am always extremely honored to tattoo someone. So for me, regardless of the skin tone, the goal is to be able to see the art 6 feet away,” Miller said.
Her passion for tattooing stems from her passion for the arts, specifically drawing or painting portraits. As a child, she remembers always drawing comics from the newspaper.
She says that tattooing or body markings are inherently a part of many cultures. When she tattoos someone “it’s like she is paying homage to the Indigenous and African tribes.”
And a part of paying homage is passing down the history of body marking and tattoos and teaching art to underserved schools.
“There weren’t that many Black female tattoo artists when I first started out, and I want our people to know the history. I want to encourage that little Black girl to go after her dreams,” said Miller.
Miller hopes to partner with Normandy and Jennings School Districts to teach art and tattooing.
“What makes us human is the arts,” said Miller.
