Milton Mizell

Milton Mizell is a Miami-based artist working at the intersection of marquetry, graphic design, and woodworking.

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Born and raised in Miami, he was introduced to woodworking early by his father, a gifted self-taught tradesman. He learned more about woodworking in high school and college, where he completed a woodshop semester in the art department’s workshop and was introduced to the tools and techniques that shaped his skills. After shifting to graphic design, Mizell continued studying woodworking through PBS, including building a router table based on Norm Abrams’ design with SketchUp improvements. He deepened his craft further after meeting and spending time working with master box maker Don Boudreau, who invited him to the South Florida Woodworking Guild, where he would later serve on the executive board.

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In the 1990s, he built a career in the music industry as a freelance graphic designer for major entertainment projects, while also co-owning a Billboard-reporting record store and managing a demanding full-time role. Seeking a slower, more grounded pace, he returned to woodworking and developed a disciplined, design-first approach to his craft, creating deeply intentional, increasingly complex work as his skills and tools evolved. In 2023, Mizell expanded into marquetry, mastering the process of transforming natural, dyed, and bleached wood veneers into intricate, emotionally resonant portraits. His work explores narratives of Black culture, celebrating the strength, elegance, and

resilience of Black identity. For him, wood is a storytelling medium where tradition, craftsmanship, and contemporary expression meet.

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Milton Mizell’s first solo exhibition, Blackquetry, opens August 22, 2026. His work has earned major recognition, including winning the MIA Magazine | Art of Black Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau cover competition during Miami Art Week in December 2023. His work has been shown in group shows across Florida including Florida CraftArt, the Historic Ward Rooming House, AfriKin Art Fair, and the Art Deco Museum, and it has been featured in national publications including American Marquetry Society Magazine, Fine Woodworking, and Popular

Woodworking.

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Mizell studied fine art before transitioning to visual communications, where he earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts, BFA, from Florida State University.