TATTOO CULTURE




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Southern Gothic: The Global Underground Hits Richmond

Richmond has always produced world-class talent and just as often, watched it leave. That cycle was exactly what Warren Jones, performer and co-founder of Prison Religion, and Christian Detres, filmmaker and longtime RVA Magazine contributor, set out to change. Their...

From Skate Parks to Tour Vans: Elyza Reinhart Shoots the Grind

Elyza Reinhart has been shooting shows since she was twelve, before she had a photo pass, before she even really knew what she was doing. That early start, and the nerves that came with it, still shape how she works today. Now based in Richmond, she’s finding new ways...

Broke Student’s Survival Guide: Cheap Eats in Richmond 2025

If you’re a broke student back in Richmond and already sick of the dining hall’s gray meatloaf, relax, this city won’t let you starve. The food here has always been a patchwork of dives, diners, and half-chaotic kitchens that somehow keep the student body alive. You...

Canned Heat! A Richmond Guide to Summer Wines in a Can

We had never tried canned wine before this week. Up until recently, we hadn’t really given them much thought. We would see new canned wines emblazoned with eye-grabbing artwork on shelves in stores and wine bars around town, but never felt compelled to try them....

Sci-Fi Ink: Richmond’s Tattoo Artists on Their Best Work

In 2015, Richmond was the third most tattooed city in the country. Over the past few years, over a dozen shops have cropped up along Broad Street and judging from looking around VCU's campus and basically any bar in Richmond, body art is something that will always be a part of the city's culture. With so many well done, beautiful tattoos...

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Lucky 13 Draws Crowds with Affordable Ink Deals

It's a long-standing tradition at Richmond's tattoo shops, but what makes someone wait in line for a $13 tattoo? Customers lined up by All-For-One, one of many shops along with Lucky 13 offering specials on Friday the 13th "It's really about the community," one heavily-tattooed visitor tells me. She skipped work to be here, and asks that I not...

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Customer Service and Quality Ink: Lucky 13’s Winning Combination

Over the past few years, over a dozen tattoo shops have cropped up throughout the growing Broad Street pocket and its surrounding areas -- from high-end boutique shops to budget tattoo joints, members of the Richmond tattoo scene are increasingly rubbing elbows. You might expect that all this competition would be bad for business, but Lucky 13...

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The Ultimate Ink Event: Richmond Tattoo Festival’s Milestone Year

Tattoos and street art are undeniably Richmond to the point that we should erect a monument of a giant paintbrush on Monument Avenue. As of 2015, the city was the third most tattooed place in the country and has become apart of our culture just as street art is starting to. With the fascination and popularity of body ink, it only makes...

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Ink Masters Converge: Richmond Tattoo & Arts Festival 2017

Jesse Smith and Kenny Brown proudly carry on the tradition of one of the world's oldest tattoo conventions! Join us from September 29 to October 1, 2017! This year's festival features an impressive lineup of tattoo artists, including both local talents and internationally renowned figures. Many Ink Master contestants will be in attendance!...

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Richmond’s Ink Explosion: Festival Showcases the Best of the Best

Tattoos are no longer a piece of art that are occasionally seen on someone’s body around Richmond. Everyone from VCU students to musicians, teachers to soccer moms, seem to have collected at least one tattoo on their body. It’s become integrated into our culture and also landed us as the third most tattooed city in the country. With our...

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Top Tattoo Artists Compete in Richmond for Ultimate Bragging Rights

Tattoos are more than just designs on someone's body here in Richmond. They're something our city is now known for and have become just as much a part of our rich culture as murals or music venues are. Richmond has become so obsessed that now we're even holding a competition for them. Jesse Smith, tattoo artist and shop owner of Carytown...

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