Tattoo artists say studios have doubled down on COVID-19 precautions

After a messy finish to their employment at one other tattoo parlor earlier this yr, tattoo artist Bear Cunningham was topic to a six-month noncompete clause. Till they may return to incomes a dwelling of their chosen occupation, Cunningham helped arrange giige, an Indigenous and queer-owned tattooing collective in Madison. Sadly, quickly after the studio opened, a member of the collective contracted COVID-19.

“So we shut down for 2 weeks to make it possible for every thing was secure earlier than returning,” Cunningham says. “I’m totally keen to do that once more sooner or later if the necessity arises. Cash isn’t value greater than the well being and security of us and our shoppers.”

Though giige is uniquely targeted on tattooing as a therapeutic artwork for individuals who really feel marginalized, what it has in frequent with different Madison tattoo studios is a dedication to security measures — pandemic or no pandemic.

“Most tattoo retailers already had a really strict and thorough sanitation processes,” says Alyssa McNally, a tattoo artist for the final two years at Misplaced Lakes Tattoo on North Sherman Avenue. “Nonetheless, we’ve added just a few further precautions to make everybody really feel safer and extra snug.”

Misplaced Lakes and giige require shoppers to make appointments to be tattooed, and prospects should additionally reply questions 48 hours prematurely about their potential publicity to anybody contaminated with the coronavirus. Artists, employees and shoppers are required to scrub their arms, have their temperatures taken upon coming into and put on masks within the retailers.

Courtesy of Bear Cunningham

“We’re all the time open to adjusting these insurance policies and to rescheduling appointments if there are any purple flags or if our shoppers really feel uncomfortable,” McNally says.

McNally says that earlier than COVID-19 she tattooed a mean of three individuals per day. “However now I’ve been limiting myself to at least one,” she says. “The slower tempo of enterprise has been good for my bodily and psychological well being.

“I’ll by no means thoughts an additional stage of precaution in terms of tattooing, particularly since we’re instantly coping with bodily fluids and private security,” McNally says. “I miss conventions and touring to do visitor spots [at other tattoo studios]. However in the intervening time, it’s left me with extra time for drawing and refining my expertise.”

Iron Quill Tattoo off South Gammon Street has adjusted operations to comply with COVID-19 pointers, says Sogdiana Kashaeva, a tattoo artist there since April 2019. “Now we have all the time operated with a sterile setting,” she says, including that the studio can also be not permitting walk-ins.

“We’re taking [fewer] appointments than we usually would to permit loads of time in between shoppers to wash correctly,” Kashaeva says.

“Everybody has been very understanding and accountable up to now and has proven us enormous assist,” she says. “All of us have family members and associates we wish to see stay wholesome.”

Joel Patenaude is a former affiliate editor of Madison Journal.