Central Ohio’s first tattoo and body piercing studio staffed entirely by women is open for business.
Located at 1644 N. High St. above Rendezvous Hair Salon, the new Evolved studio has been up and running since Nov. 1.
Most large cities on the east and west coasts have at least one women-run tattoo studio and now Columbus joins their ranks, says Alana Robbie, one of three tattoo artists employed at the new location.
Tattoo artists Sarah Blinkhorn and Kati Semones, and body piercer Lindsay Hearts round out the staff.
“Currently, all three artists working out of our new location actively do fine artwork outside of tattooing,” Robbie says. “We are trying to make our 1644 space warm and welcoming to people of all genders and body modification experience instead of having an exclusive ‘cool kids’ sort of vibe.
“Evolved has always been a very inclusive space, where anyone can be comfortable getting body art done. We are just extending this core principal with our new location. We are also using our space to showcase our own fine artwork and that of other local artists.”
An abundance of windows provides plenty of natural sunlight during the day and a great view of the South Campus Gateway at night, Robbie says, adding that the studio also features a state of the art sterilization room and a private piercing room.
The new business has been well received within and without the tattoo industry, she says.
“Fielding the negative stereotypes that many people have about a group of women working together can be hard, but we expect things to go very smoothly and they have been,” she adds.
The staff”s main goals are carving a niche among the large and growing Evolved crew, showcasing themselves and active artists in the Columbus community, and attracting a clientele who is excited to work with tattoo artists who can bring their ideas for skin art to life, she says.
A grand opening party for the studio −the third Evolved location− is scheduled for Dec. 16 from 8 to 11 p.m.
The studio’s normal business hours are noon to 9 p.m. Monday through Sunday.
To learn more about Evolved, visit EvolvedBodyArt.com.
All photography by Adam Slane.
