Amid rising rents in downtown and Midtown Reno and lots of competition among tattoo parlors and tattoo artists, the South Town Tattoo Collective is living up to its name: collegial, giving, socially conscious and accessible in a shared space without prohibitive costs. Artists from the collective also work on community gardens and hold weekly potlucks for people living without a roof over the heads.
Photos, Interviews and Captions by Candice Vialpando
“The main purpose for starting a ‘collective’ tattoo shop was the idea of breaking down hierarchy,” says founder and tattoo artist Jay Dee Skinner.
Jay Dee Skinner has been tattooing since 2010. He is best known for his portraits, photo realism, black and grey colors, and custom lettering tattoos.
“Reno is an art town. It is overwhelmed with tattoo shops. We have so much to benefit from being a collective,” says Nichole Moore, one of the tattoo artists at the South Town Tattoo Collective.
Moore is booked out with about three, four customers a day. This back Mandala piece (many times defined as a geometric figure representing the universe through symbolism) has so far taken her 24 hours, and will be completed after another 8 hours of work.
"Custom, one of a kind tattoos with deep meaning, in a safe space is the demand we provide for the people," Skinner says.“Sharing a bond with the person walking through the door and becoming old friends, and quick, is my favorite part of the art (...) Our people offer up a lot of trust that we take very seriously. Our goal is to always honor that and give our very best back to the people."
Photos, Interviews and Captions by Candice Vialpando