From a subculture niche into mainstream art, the tattoo industry in Utah has been through an evolution fueled by breaking down stigmas, growing acceptance and demonstrating that body art is a valuable form of self-expression. 

Midvale City’s Historic Main Street has become a go-to destination for clients to receive quality tattoos with increasingly intricate and personalized designs. With nearly a dozen studios in the Main Street area, tattoo artists are helping to build the city’s arts reputation.

“We’re trying to create an arts and culture district here on Midvale Main and one thing that we’re trying to do is attract businesses that are arts or arts adjacent, and tattoo studios absolutely fit into the mold of what we’re looking for,” said Midvale Economic Development Manager Cody Hill. 

Chase Alexander and Mitch Anderson of Dark Arts (7632 Main St.) have helped build the area into a tattoo destination. Alexander operates Tattoo Booking, a website that helps clients find the perfect artist for their body art. With more than 200 licensed tattoo artists in Salt Lake County, the site makes it easier to navigate the system.

Alexander also coordinates the Tattoo Showdown each April on Midvale’s Main Street. The event attracts tattoo artists from all over the region to compete for $15,000 in prize money. 

“[The artists] have to design under the event’s theme and they can do it in any style they want,” he said. “They’re split into categories and they have nine hours to tattoo. At the end of the nine hours, we bring them on stage and judge them. There are different things the judges are looking at to figure out who has the best piece.”

Advances in technology have helped elevate the practice into an art form. Cordless machines allow an artist to achieve greater precision by adjusting the needle’s speed and force. Eco-friendly inks, smart tattoo needles and improved aftercare products make the process easier for the artist and client. 

Not Without Challenges

While Midvale’s Main Street attracts talented artists looking for a place to showcase their art, it has also caused some oversaturation in the area, specifically when it comes to studios with walk-in clientele. Al Martinez works at Wild Coyote Tattoo (7681 Main St.) but said the shop will close this fall because it can’t compete with the other studios in the area. 

“I’ve been here for about a year but I’ve been in the industry for 14 years,” Martinez said. “The area is oversaturated and we just can’t compete for walk-ins.”

Hill agreed that walk-in studios might have a rough time but said most of the shops see clients by appointment only. He sees tattoos as a service people are willing to travel for to find the best artists, so oversaturation shouldn’t be a problem.

“When you get a tattoo, you’ve probably done research, and you know the artist that you want to use,” Hill said. “You might book out months in advance to get the time slot with that artist for the specific tattoo that you’re looking for.”

McKay Haynie owns Nowhere Tattoo (7624 S. Main St.) and appreciates all the city has done to create an arts district on Main Street, including the Mural Fest each year. He also gave credit to Anderson, Beth Vanity (Vanity Tattoo & Co, 7634 Main St.) and Buck Harvey (Black Rabbit Tattoo, 7610 Main St.) for being pioneers in the area and helping transform the industry on Main Street by remodeling the historic buildings. 

Haynie said operating a tattoo studio takes time, money and energy, and the heavily regulated industry can sometimes break a small business. 

“No one in the city has bad intentions, nor do most people in the government as a whole, but you don’t realize how much the government takes from you until you open a business,” he said. “I get taxed on the city level, on the county level, on the state level and on the federal level and that doesn’t include sales tax and inflation.”

Ink Evolution

As the industry continues to evolve through innovation and technology, Alexander said the one thing a studio can do to stay competitive is to create exemplary and unique customer experiences. 

Offering quality products for aftercare, making the appointment feel luxurious or finding ways to increase a client’s comfort could be a way to rise above the hundreds of studios in the county.

“One artist paints an art piece and turns those into tattoos. Then he tattoos the client and gives them that piece to go along with their tattoo,” Alexander said. 

During the Craft Lake City: LetterWest lettering conference held on Midvale Main earlier this year, Midvale Mayor Marcus Stevenson received his first tattoo. He’d considered getting one for a long time but said he couldn’t fully trust someone inking a permanent picture on his body. 

While looking at flash tattoos designed by Kyle Letendre, Stevenson saw one that said “vision” and it resonated with how he sees his life and his role as mayor. Artist Tattoo Slick from Dark Arts gave him the tattoo. 

“I have a vision for our community and for myself. It’s a reminder each day of the choices I make to create that vision,” Stevenson said. “My experience was really good. The pain was similar to a cat scratching you over and over again, so not pleasant but not unbearable. Additionally, the artist was willing to work with me to find the right placement and explain how to take care of the tattoo.”

City officials appreciate the tattoo studios and artists who call Midvale’s Historic Main Street home, where they add to the dynamic, diversity and culture of the area.

“Their involvement, their passion, their creativity and their willingness to help us expand our vision of an arts and culture district creates a positive perception on Main Street,” said Meggie Troili, Midvale City Redevelopment Agency Project Manager. λ