Arkansas Tattoo And Body Piercing
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Little Rock, Arkansas
04/26/07

Arkansas Ink.

While there are no current figures for the number of people with tattoos in Arkansas, the sometimes days-long wait for an appointment at the state’s top parlors is proof enough of the tattoo phenomenon.

In a narrow storefront just off Conway’s Harkrider Street, Melvin “Mel D” Dikeman’s tattoo shop, Inkjunkys, doesn’t look like the kind of place you’d shop for fine art — anything not painted on velvet, anyway. Born and raised in Northwest Arkansas, Mel D has been tattooing for 20 years, and is recognized by many as one of the best in the state.

Mel D’s business partner and apprentice, Alexis “Lollie” Moore, is one of the rare female tattoo artists in the state. On the job for two years now — petite and lovely; her arms and chest frosted with pink hearts, flowers, and a luminous, photorealistic tattoo of her grandmother.

Chris Thomas, the owner of Golden Lotus Tattoo in Sherwood, is another of Arkansas’s big wheel tattoo artists. In 10 years, he has gone from lowly apprentice to one of the state’s tattooing superstars, with two dozen national awards and multi-page spreads in nine nationally distributed tattoo magazines to prove it.

In contrast to small, “custom” tattoo shops, Little Rock’s 7th Street Tattoo is a so-called “street shop.” Though they do their share of large custom pieces by appointment, 7th Street’s bread and butter is smaller tattoos, many of them picked from the store’s huge collection of flash art that lines the walls. Jud Ferguson has been tattooing at 7th Street for four years. He’s one of five artists and two apprentices that work there.

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Courtesy of: arktimes.com

Jonesboro, Arkansas
01/22/07

Campus tattoo artist down, not out.

There has been a lot of talk about Preston Burt, the local tattoo artist who recently pled guilty to tattooing without a license and operating a business without a license. Burt even had articles written about him in USA Today, and The Commercial Appeal.

Burt said word got around quickly on campus about his skills. He has done over 100 tattoos, but said he still does not know how he got caught. Authorities told him that someone got sick from a tattoo they received from him.

Burt is not tattooing any more and plans to do it the right way in the future.

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Courtesy of: asuherald.com

ASU's Tattoo Artist Pleads Guilty.

An Arkansas State University student has pleaded guilty to three counts related to an accusation he operated a tattooing business out of his dormitory room.

Preston Burt, 19, was fined $750 and ordered to perform 40 hours of community service after he pleaded to counts that he violated city and state licensing regulations.

Burt was also placed on six months probation.

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Courtesy of: kait8.com

Jonesboro, Arkansas
12/12/06

ASU Student Gives 100 Or So Tattoos In Dormitory.

As many as 100 Arkansas State University students have been tattooed by a 19-year-old student whom police say is unlicensed and is alleged to have left at least two students sick and seeking medical care.

But police said the student did not have a state license, had not paid required state fees and had no means of properly disposing of blood and blood-borne pathogens, according to the report. Police say he also had failed to take a state-mandated examination in order to tattoo.

University police seized from the student's dormitory room several bottles of ink, notebooks containing tattoo drawings and other equipment used in tattooing, according to a police report. Chapman described the equipment as professional-grade.

University Police Chief Jim Chapman said operating without a license was a misdemeanor, but other charges could be filed as well.

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Courtesy of: nwaonline.net

The Dangers of Illegal Tattoos.

An amateur tattoo can lead to all kinds of health problems, from simple infections to deadly blood borne diseases.

Jimmy Vick owns The Zen Factory, a tattoo parlor in Downtown Jonesboro. He says the underground world of illegal tattoos is more popular than you may think. It's often times appealing because of the cheaper costs and convenience, but the end result can be risky.

"We do a six month apprenticeship, we have to take a health department test, you have to do a practical test in front of a state health worker and that's to ensure that you don't transmit any diseases," says Jeremy LeBlanc, a licensed tattoo artist at The Zen Factory.

"You go to a tattoo shop, you're paying a little bit more, but good tattoos aren't cheap, and cheap tattoos aren't good. That's the bottom line," says Vick.

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Courtesy of: kait8.com

Current And Pending Arkansas Laws...

FAYETTEVILLE PLANNING COMMISSION : Permit approved for tattoo parlor.

Collin Wilkins, the owner of Lowlife Tattoo & Piercing located 275-2 S. Archibald Yell Blvd., came before the commission on Dec. 8 after a complaint about his sign led to an investigation that revealed he did not have a certificate of zoning. The zoning his business is currently in, downtown general, does not allow tattoo parlors by right but only by conditional-use permit.

When he asked the Planning Commission for the permit, he had the approval from city planning staff, but the matter was tabled after several neighbors complained about different aspects of the business.

But planning staff on Monday repeated its recommendation to the Planning Commission to approve the conditional-use permit for the business, stating that the area is appropriate for this type of business.

Another tattoo parlor in Fayetteville, Knight Times Tattoo, is located near the corner of East Rolling Hills Drive and North College Avenue.

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Courtesy of: nwanews.com

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