Richmond once got called one of the most hipster cities in America, number five in the country, number twenty in the world, apparently. Depending on your disposition, that either made you proud or made you roll your eyes so hard you risked permanent damage. The thing...
The Richmond Tattoo & Arts Convention 2024 took over the Doubletree Midlothian this past weekend, offering an unapologetic look into the heart of tattoo culture. Hosted by local legend Jesse Smith and Ink Master’s Ryan Ashley, the three-day event drew a mix of veteran ink enthusiasts and curious first-timers, all hungry to experience one of...
Jesse Smith, the local legend and founder of Loose Screw Tattoo in Carytown, has been repping this ol’ Fist City since the '90s with his twisted animation style and has been celebrated all over the world for his craft. His works span a wide range of genres, but like the best artists out there, you know a Jesse Smith piece when you see one. I...
While the first thing you may notice about Ryan Ashley is that she is painfully beautiful to look at, don’t let that stop you from recognizing the absolute unit of an artist that she is. She’s a Pennsylvania native, an erstwhile New Yorker, and a current resident of Grand Junction, CO and Elysium Studios. She made her education at FIT in New York...
Mark your calendars (or draw it on your leg?), but come October 18th, you should be in for Richmond at the Midlothian Doubletree Hotel for the 36th annual Richmond Tattoo and Arts Convention. Richmond had been ground zero for the explosion of interest in tattoo artistry, by sheer volume of tatted-up local residents and the glut of incredible...
Say whatever you will about the iconic William Shatner, but it cannot be denied that asking an 11-year-old if he ever thinks about death during a Q&A panel is pretty metal as hell. From a weekend of Shatner to new and expanded things to do, to the deafening screams of excitement in the panel for hit series Hazbin Hotel, 2024 undeniably...
Created under a funerary theme, Of Mud & Blood fuses the talent of Richmond’s ceramic artists and tattoo artists into one collaborative art show. Over the course of about eight months, the ceramic artists of the Visual Arts Center (VisArts) and the tattooer community have dedicated their energy to unique ceramic pieces, adorned with tattoo...
I had agreed to meet William Keck aka OG ILLA at his newly renovated space on Broad St, which he has dubbed CNTR in the last year—a creative space for creative people. The location is humble enough out front, bearing the marks of its many past iterations, such as the bookstore it once was, but the inside is on its way to becoming one of the most...
Walking into House of Wands, down in Shockoe Bottom, feels immediately like walking onto the set of Practical Magic: high ceilings, dark wood, and even a large print of Morticia Addams tucked away in the corner. No Sandra Bullock to be found, but we'll let that slide. Opened in July of this year, House of Wands was founded by Fronkie L’Heureux...
The world is healing in more ways than one. All over the world, people are standing together to fight against injustices, and the same is happening within the tattoo community. Once an exclusive subculture, tattoos are becoming more accepted in mainstream society and culture. What used to be an industry full of gatekeeping and hazing run...
