TATTOO CULTURE




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The Mayor of Sunny Mart

There are certain people who become part of a neighborhood so slowly that nobody notices it happening until one day they realize the place would feel strange without them.   If you’ve spent enough time around The Fan late at night, then you probably know Sunny Mart....

‘Songs of Truth’ Brings Sojourner Truth to the Hippodrome

Editor's Note: For more on the life and legacy of Sojourner Truth, read Christian Detres' companion essay HERE. This has been an inspirational season for Richmond’s homegrown theatre. We are following up the sold-out run of Witchduck with the mid-project musical...

Review | Get In My Boca! What’s Happening at the Triangle?

Every time I go to the Aldi on Arthur Ashe at Broad St., En Su Boca tries to seduce me with its tequila and tacos perfume. It doesn’t work all the time, but I feel the pull when I’m browsing the nonsense in Aldi’s middle aisle. I once bought sweatpants there. I’m not...

What a Chilean Traveler Found in Richmond

Editor’s Note: We occasionally make space for outside voices whose perspectives help us see Richmond differently. This piece was submitted by Chilean journalist and multimedia storyteller Natalia Freire. Hidden gems. I like that expression. It’s the first thing that...

Northern Lights, Northern Lives: Queer Life Beyond the Lower 48

Northern Lights, Northern Lives: A Spectrum of Gender Across Alaska and the Yukon is a collection of 50 striking photographs of LGBTQ+ people and their allies that is set in the breathtaking landscapes of Alaska and Yukon. The images are accompanied by personal essays...

Richmond’s Shop Local Culture Shines in New Study

Richmond is ranked the number one city in America for supporting local businesses, according to a new national study from OnDeck. The report analyzed Instagram activity tied to hashtags like #shoplocal and #shopsmall across nearly 500 U.S. cities and found Richmond...

The BIG Richmond Summer Music Field Guide 2026

Trying to put together a list of shows in Richmond these days is becoming a pretty hard thing to do. The city has gotten really busy, but at least it’s not boring. There are more shows, festivals, DJ nights, and random Tuesday concerts happening in the River City than...

Richmond Icons Serve Looks in New West Main Mural

Longtime Richmond tattoo artist Charles Berger is known for his intricate and elaborate tattoos. He’s spent most of his years inking over at Heroes and Ghosts and now you can find him over at Lakeside Tattoo. But lately, Berger has taken his work beyond tattooing. He, along with local artist Parker Galore, just finished up a mural Sat. Nov. 28 on...

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Richard Perkins Unveils Raw, Gritty Photography at The Camel Tonight

Richard Perkins, a good friend of ours who we covered a few years back, is holding an long awaited and anticipated “Piano Lessons Can Be Murder” photo art show tonight at the Camel from 7 to 9. Heavily inspired by Vincent Gallo, and a true Renaissance man himself, Perkins has had his hands in many artistic pots as a musician, tattoo enthusiast,...

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Amy Black’s Powerful Tattoo Work Faces Instagram Censorship

The digital age has made free speech a complicated mess, and having algorithms, human moderators, or user-based reporting systems isn't helping. Such was the case for local tattoo artist Amy Black who has made headlines in the past for her work on tattooing over mastectomy scars. But those powerful images of her work didn't sit well with...

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Richmond Tattoo Artists’ Art Auction Supports Kids in Need

In an effort to raise money for the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU, local business employees, tattoo artists and VCU students will gather tonight at the Mott Gallery to auction video game and super hero-themed art. Jillian Ryan and Bob Broomfield of Bits and Pixels, a video game store in Carytown, got the idea for the auction when they...

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Tales of Tattoos at Secretly Y’all’s (Im)Permanence at VMFA

The co-founders of Secretly Y’all are back again with an exciting new event this time with the theme on one of the things that makes Richmond, Richmond: tattoos. On September 4th, Secretly Y'all will present (Im)Permanence at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, which currently has a Japanese tattoo exhibit on display until the end of this month....

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Heritage in Ink: Discovering the Depths of Japanese Tattoos at VMFA

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) has managed to blend the locally popular art of tattoo and the historically beautiful craftsmanship of Japanese art with the launch of its new exhibition, “Japanese Tattoo: Perseverance, Art, and Tradition.” The collection centers around seven internationally acclaimed tattoo artists, curated by Kip Fulbeck...

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Richmond is getting its first Japanese tattoo mural

Richmond is getting its first Japanese tattoo-inspired mural-and you get to be apart of the fun starting today. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts launched the RVA Japanese Scavenger Hunt today and from now until May 28, the museum will put a piece of the tattoo around the city and you must use your savvy detective skills to find them. You'll also...

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