The tattoo parlour has come a long way since the days of burly bikers in smoky back rooms.
The recently opened Black Velvet Tattoos is a bright and modern space located squarely in the middle of Bracebridge on Manitoba Street. It’s also the culmination of a lifelong dream for Bracebridge’s Kristin Wright.
“I first became interested in tattooing when I was really young, maybe 11 years old. I knew I wanted to be an artist but I didn’t know if it was a sustainable career,” says Wright. “Back then tattooing was still a little taboo and the industry was still pretty primitive. When people would ask me, ‘what do you want to do when you grow up?’ I would reply with ‘tattoo artist’ and they would only ever ask me ‘…but why?’”
Records of tattooing can be traced back to neolithic times and cultures that practice the art have been found all over the globe. However, for the majority of the twentieth century in North America it was more likely to be associated with sailors and gang affiliations than artistry. That’s all changed in the past few decades.
“There was a stigma to tattooing that doesn’t really exist anymore,” says Wright. “The industry and the artistry have really improved in the last 20 years and the materials we use have come a long way too. Rarely you’ll hear about someone making their own needles, tubes or cleaning tubes, now everything we use is disposable and comes in sterilized packaging that all comes from highly regulated companies.”
When Wright was in her early 20s she moved to Edmonton and began working as a tattoo apprentice at the West Edmonton Mall. Wright says during that period she spent a lot of time cleaning and running errands and not a lot of time doing any actual tattooing. Getting into the profession at that time was especially challenging for a young woman, she says.
“I saw my male counterparts moving a lot faster through the programs than I did. I felt I had to work a lot harder to prove myself and show that I was ‘tough enough’,” she says. “I think most women in the industry will agree that in the male-dominated field we aren’t or weren’t taken very seriously. I think that’s starting to change.”
Although it took roughly four years to get there, Wright says she was eventually allowed to start tattooing. After another year in Edmonton, she decided to return to Muskoka and things really began to gather steam.
Wright worked under Alex Maddock, who runs Maddock Ink, just around the corner from Black Velvet on Taylor Road.
“I can honestly say that Alex taught me more about tattooing than I ever learnt from anyone I worked under in Edmonton,” says Wright.
In March 2020, Maddock’s studio was temporarily shuttered due to the pandemic.
“After being locked down I really enjoyed working by myself and I believe it was July 2020 I opened the first Black Velvet Tattoo studio. It was a small two-room sublet in a hair salon,” she says. “There was only enough room for my desk in one room and my tattoo station in the other.”
In November, 2020, Wright was diagnosed with optic neuritis and multiple sclerosis. She spent a couple of months dealing with symptoms and by the time she was ready to return to work the province was plunged into more lockdowns. On the positive side, the break allowed her to secure a new location at 25 Manitoba Street.
“I love the big, bright, clean space,” she says. “My goal for the studio is to create an almost medical/spa-like environment – a calm, super clean, clutter-free, welcoming environment with high-quality artwork for clients that may still have some skepticism.”
Being located on the main street of town has translated into non-stop business for the fledgling parlour.
“My bookings are currently closed for 2021 and the walk-in traffic is crazy,” she says. “I’m actually unable to keep up with the clientele at this point and I’m going to need to hire new people soon.”
Wright says she’s grateful for the community of people that support Black Velvet Tattoo Studio and have helped her get this far.
“It’s already more amazing than I could have ever planned and I am so excited to see where this will lead in the future.”
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