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Tattoo parlor trades ink for ministry on Mondays
Photo by Regan Hill
Painted Saint Tattoo on Tradd Street has started hosting ministry nights on Mondays. Clockwise from bottom: Will Queen, Justin Campbell, Tim Witmer and Chip Harbin.
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Published: September 17, 2009
The sign along Tradd Street outside reads "Tattoo and Piercing."
While the curvy and striped letters tell passers-by about the services inside, it doesn't reveal much about the character of the four men who work at Painted Saint Tattoo.
People who adorn their bodies with tattoos and piercings are branded with a certain level of stigma, said shop owner Will Queen. Those who run the shops must overcome similar preconceptions.
"Tattoos are for sailors, prisoners and prostitutes," joked tattoo artist Chip Harbin.
Harbin, Queen, Tim Witmer and Justin Campbell are trying to change those views as they try to find their niche in a conservative area.
"For me, personally, I value community," Queen said.
All four men have tattoo sleeves, or tattoos that cover their entire arms. They also have piercings.
Today, navel piercings have practically become as much of a right of passage as ear piercing for many people, Witmer said.
One of the ways Queen and Witmer are giving back to the community is by providing Harbin's ministry, "The Victor," a location to meet on Mondays, when the shop is closed.
While a tattoo parlor is not a typical setting for worship, Harbin said 18 to 20 people usually show up for the ministry meetings.
Harbin said he sometimes forgets that people can be hostile toward people with tattoos. They faced that stigma when Queen was trying to find a location to set up shop.
The decision to get a tattoo is one people have to live with for the rest of their lives, Witmer said.
Queen, Harbin and Witmer said they try to caution people about what getting a tattoo will mean in the long run.
Some of their rules include no profanity or racist words or symbols. Also, they won't tattoo something on the top of a person's hand or forearm if it is the first tattoo.
"Some people come in and they are dead set on that tattoo," Witmer said. "You have to be prepared for those decisions. They might hate me at that moment."
Queen and Harbin can create custom images for customers who don't walk out with the same tattoo someone else in town has.
Part of promoting a sense of community is making sure everyone, both the artist and customer, are safe, Queen said.
In the separate tattoo and piercing rooms, each needle and canister is individually wrapped, like in a doctor's office.
In addition to the certification from the Iredell County Health Department, the employees have gone through blood and airborne pathogen training and general first aid.
Queen grew up in the Statesville area, and decided to open the tattoo parlor in his hometown because there seemed to be an opening in that market.
"It still, right now, is getting the word out to people," he said. "We worked with a lot of businesses cross promoting."
He said it was important to set up shop in the downtown business district because he remembers the days when the commercial district was vibrant and bustling. He would like to see it become that way again.
"The best thing about it is to reach out to different people," Harbin said..
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