Wednesday: The first black woman to open a tattoo parlor in St. Louis has a new address

This interview will be on “St. Louis on the Air” on Wednesday lunchtime. This story will be updated after the show. Listen live.

Valencia Miller, or “Miss V” as her clients call her, is the first black woman to open a tattoo parlor in St. Louis. She’s been tattooing since she was in high school, and now she’s bringing her shop, Onyx Dagger, to Lafayette Square.

In 2015, Miller opened a shop called Ink Gallery in Benton Park, but put it on hold to return to school and study in Beijing. It reopened in 2018 but once her lease ended she decided it was time to move on.

Miller, a lifelong artist, started tattooing as a teenager.

Now, Onyx Dagger is set to have its grand opening at its Park Avenue location in March. Miller’s shop will be both a tattoo parlor and a gallery showcasing the work of local artists.

Miller will join Saint Louis live Wednesday to talk about Onyx Dagger’s new life, learning to tattoo in Hawaii, and what it’s like to open in Lafayette Square.

Related event:

What: Inauguration of the Onyx Dagger

When: March 12, 2022, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Where: Onyx Dagger, 1917 Park Ave., St. Louis, MO 63104

Have you been tattooed by Valencia Miller? Share a photo and all your questions. Tweet us (@STLonAir), send an email to [email protected] or share your impressions via our Saint Louis live Facebook groupand help inform our coverage.

Saint Louis live” tells you the stories of Saint-Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is hosted by Sarah Fenské and produced by Alex Heuer, Emily Woodbury, Evie Hemphilland Kayla Drake. Jane Mather-Glass is our production assistant. The sound engineer is Aaron Dorr.

Laura J. Boyer