Don Miller, a student studying in ETSU’s Department of Art and Design, was stationed in the Culp on Friday, April 21, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., allowing people to draw him from their perspective.
This is Miller’s first year at ETSU after gaining his associate’s degree from Northeast State Community College. He is a part of the honors program within the Department of Art and Design. His works are currently on display in the Slocumb Galleries within Ball Hall.
“I have been drawing all of my life,” said Miller. “One thing is that I’m kind of red green colorblind—so I’m studying painting, but I have that red green color blindness. It’s a little bit of a hinderance, but I’m still able to do okay with it.”
Miller specializes in drawing with ballpoint pens, which he said is a unique medium. He started this project of letting people draw him as part of his 4D art course. Miller said he came up with the idea to switch roles, since he is normally drawing someone else.
“People were drawing me instead of me drawing the people,” said Miller. “I figured setting up here in the Culp would be an easy spot to attract people to do that.”
Around 1 p.m., Miller said he only had a handful of people stop by and talk to him. The East Tennessean’s executive editor, Allison Winters, even had a chance to stop by and speak with Miller. He said that they discussed his time at ETSU and how he began his educational journey as a non-traditional student.
“I ended up going back to school in my 40s, I figured why not?” said Miller. “I broke my back and had two spinal fusions, so that kept me from doing the kind of work I was used to.”
He said that he did not want to be disabled, so he enrolled at ETSU and decided to study something he is good at. Miller has resided in Johnson City for the last five years and found the move to be very rewarding.
“I’ve never had my work displayed in any kind of formal setting in a gallery, so it’s new to me,” said Miller. “It is very rewarding—it’s always been a little bit personal to me to put myself out there, but I figured why not try now?”
For more information about ETSU’s Department of Art and Design, contact Dr. Tao Huang at huangt@etsu.edu. For inquiries into Don Miller’s artwork, please contact him at millerd9@etsu.edu.
