Montana Tattoo And Body Piercing
News And Articles...

Bozeman, Montana
07/15/07

Tattoos and work don't always mix.

If you see a guy walking around in a long-sleeved shirt in 100-degree weather, he's likely one of the millions of Americans sporting tattoos frowned upon by their bosses.

Nearly 50 percent of Americans between 21 and 32 have at least one tattoo or a piercing other than in an ear, according to a 2006 study by the University of Chicago and Northwestern University.

“Some people are really concerned about placement,” said Doug Curzon, owner of Sacred Images Tattoo and Piercing on West Mendenhall Street. “A lot of people just want to show it when they want to show it, and not show it when they don't.”

Chad Biorn, owner of Third Chapter Tattooing & Design Studio, a few doors east of Curzon's shop, said attitudes toward skin art are changing for the better. “I see it loosening up a bit, and the respect level for good body art is going up,” Biorn said. “There are still people that worry about it, especially real professional people, that want to conceal their work. I wish it wasn't like that.”

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Courtesy of: bozemandailychronicle.com

Billings, Montana
11/19/06

Once-taboo, tattoos now fit in.

Tattoo artists in the Butte area say they are seeing more professionals and "regular" people getting inked.

"Tattoos used to be a stereotype for criminals or outlaws," said Jason Green, tattoo artist and owner of Body Grafix. He said he's done tattoo work for police officers, lawyers, even a judge.

John "Hoot" Gibson, tattoo artist with Mr. Gibz Tattoo, said there used to be a certain type of person who went under his needle. He could tell by just looking at a person if they had ink on their skin. Now, there are so many different types of people getting tattooed, he can't tell them apart.

The new clientele is also asking for a different kind of tattoo. The skull and crossbones tattoos are being replaced by more personalized art.

Green said he's seen an influx of new mothers getting tattoos of their newborn babies' footprints. "They come in with a copy of the birth certificate and have the baby's footprint tattooed on their body," Green said.

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Courtesy of: billingsgazette.net

Helena, Montana
10/25/06

Gargoyles get fabulous.

For the first time in 118 years, the scaly gargoyles perched atop the Atlas Building in Downtown Helena were removed from their lofty perch to get new wings, tongues and paint.

Craig Harris of the Rocky Mountain Art Factory pounded out the copper while Joe Thielen, owner of Cornerstone Construction, did the painting. The repairman was Craig Harris, a tattoo artist who works in all forms of art, from glass etching to copper pounding.

Harris read up on copper-pounding techniques before tackling the priceless gargoyles. He used a bag of sand and a special hammer to perform much of the work. One creature had lost its wing and a portion of its tongue. Another had lost much of its tail.

“Repairing them was a matter of taking the time and patience,” Harris said. “What was really amazing to me — because they’re so old — was the craftsmanship that went into them in the first place.”

Thielen, who also repainted the Woman’s Mural, added the colors to the Atlas Building last year. He’s impressed by the structure’s heavy stone workmanship and called the gargoyles the crown jewels of a downtown gem.

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Courtesy of: helenair.com

Billings, Montana
07/09/06

Owners of new Billings tattoo shop offer services way beyond an anchor and mermaid.

With nearly a dozen tattoo shops in town, co-owners Adam Skipper and Chris Caruso know they need to make Voodoo Tattoo stand out from the others. Their plan for that is simple: specialize in extreme procedures that other shops don't do, Skipper said.

People who venture into the shop at 928 Broadwater Ave. need only look at the photos on display to see that the shop offers more than traditional tattoos.

Photo albums show examples of the procedures Voodoo Tattoo offers, including brandings and scarification, or creating scars by making incisions on the body with a scalpel.

Skipper's modifications on his body include five or six brandings, five scarification procedures, a split tongue, tattoo art that took about 125 hours to do, and more piercings than he said he can count, including 50 to 60 current piercings.

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Courtesy of: billingsgazette.net

Current And Pending Montana Laws...

Piercing and tattoo guidelines.

Tattoo artists and piercing professionals will gather at a public hearing on Oct. 25 in Helena to discuss with state officials who recently released a set of proposed regulations for the industry.

Ruth Piccone, body art program manager with the Department of Public Health and Human Services, was charged with the task of collaborating with body art and piercing professionals, health officials and others to develop those rules, and she believes she's come up with a comprehensive, workable document.

Under the proposed rules, businesses will be required to purchase licenses for $135, and renew those annually. In order to qualify for those licenses, tattoo artists and body piercing professionals must perform a number of tasks including attending annual training on subjects such as the control of blood-borne pathogens, passing regular health inspections and more.

Under the proposed rules, officials with DPHHS must inspect licensed businesses on an annual basis. The department will be able to impose a fee of $150 for a third or subsequent follow-up inspection if a violation is identified during the first inspection and is not remedied by the second visit.

She says she hopes the rules will go into effect by Jan. 1, 2007.

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Courtesy of: helenair.com

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