Women make mark in tattoo biz

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Women make mark in tattoo biz
April 27, 2011
By Kevin Joy
The Columbus Dispatch

The results inked across Kelsey Hidinger are expected to last forever.

The one-of-a-kind design -- with sprawling branches that bear interwoven words from a treasured Bible verse ( love, peace, goodness) -- had to meet a particular vision.

And, with the application procedure collectively exceeding 18 hours, a perfect relationship was sought.

Kati Semones, an Evolved Body Art staff member, made the abstract real and the experience stress-free - the injections aside, of course.

"I brought her the general idea of wanting the 'fruits' somehow arranged in a tree," said Hidinger, a nursing aide, 22, from Hilliard.

"It would feel a little awkward having a male tattoo artist see my whole side - lying there with only a sweatshirt held up.

"I felt very much at ease."

The second-floor studio, which opened in November near Ohio State University, was conceived in such a way: The five-member staff is made up exclusively of women. A rotating collection of art and photography hangs on the walls. Above the sound of humming needles, rock music plays softly and conversation flows.

In turn, the unusual setup - reportedly the only all-female shop in Ohio - has garnered plenty of buzz.

"It's something that shouldn't even be seen as strange, but it is," said Nick Wolak, the 38-year-old owner of the Evolved franchise, which operates two nearby tattoo parlors and a piercing studio.

"It's long overdue."

About half of the 30 employees in the decade-old Columbus company are female.

Those at the newest outlet, 1644 N. High St., aim to attract both tattoo connoisseurs and first-timers - who might want to ask questions and tour the facility.

"None of these ladies in here is going to judge you or gossip about you," said Lindsay Hearts, a 25-year Evolved body piercer who warns clients against quickly hiring any vendor without seeking photos of past work or even a preliminary conversation.

"I don't think people realize how much research they can do to find an artist who fits their style."

After all, some procedures aren't for the reserved: tattoos that border nether regions; genital piercing; permanent cosmetic applications that give the appearance of makeup - such as post-mastectomy repigmentation, a service that the new Evolved branch would like to offer by next year.

And a single tattoo costs $50 to $5,000.

The gender dynamic is designed to prevent social discomfort for clients.

"There are tons of horror stories," said Semones, a Columbus College of Art & Design graduate, 30, who has inked others for five years.

"A lot of people feel comfortable with women."

Yet the girl-power ethos doesn't exclude boys.

Men - including Ashley Voss, who last month added a skull-and-crossbones design, his seventh tattoo - equal roughly half of the clientele.

"You expect a certain amount of pain, but a woman's touch is more delicate," said Voss, a Downtown resident, 33, who had patronized only male artists before.

"As far as the overall experience goes, it was really nice in comparison."

Helping, too, is the rising pop-culture prominence of tattoo shops, thanks in part to reality shows such as Inked and Miami Ink. (Such series aren't entirely accurate, the women said: The design and application of an original tattoo, for example, isn't as speedy as the 30-minute programs suggest.)

Another benefit: the extended apprenticeship curriculum designed by Wolak, who has a master's degree in education from Ohio State University.

He chooses roughly "1 of every 100" applicants.

He is selective, Wolak said, because tattoo artists and piercers aren't held to any statewide standard.

"The industry isn't organized enough to lobby for legislation to have a state board," said Patrick McGrath, a program coordinator for Columbus Public Health, which inspects tattoo shops in the city twice yearly for cleanliness and basic training in blood-borne pathogens.

"There isn't a tattoo college or certificate, but there probably should be."

Cleveland native Alana Robbie, who has done tattooing since age 18, doesn't want any bad apples to set a precedent.

"Our industry is shrouded in mystery," said Robbie, 26. "It's so easy for people to take that dynamic and abuse it."

It's easy, likewise, to have misconceptions about tattoo artists themselves - to see them as surly or elitist beings who show little care toward customers outside certain circles.

Not at Evolved, said its employees, who joke, meet for after-work margaritas and remain friendly in the workplace.

"We're just like Sex and the City," said Robbie, her sarcasm obvious - "except with tattoos."