By Zachary Sherman
For the 11th year in the Tampa Bay area, the company Villain Arts has hosted its annual tattoo festival in the Tampa Convention Center. The event brings locals and artists from throughout the country creating a unique experience that connects body art enthusiasts.
Michelle Manhart, a tattoo artist based in Valdosta, Georgia, says this is her fourth time attending this festival and there is nothing like it. Manhart, originally from California, spent 14 years in the United States Air Force and is a model turned tattoo artist owning her own shop, The Scarlet Letter. She started tattooing originally as she enjoyed drawing along with coping with her post traumatic stress disorder from serving in the military.
“I just woke up one day and decided I wanted to become a tattoo artist, and I started it and began my apprenticeship and just fell in love with it and realized it was very relaxing and did not feel like work,” Manhart said.
Manhart said she loves the Tampa area and the natural beauty of it. She said that Tampa is inclusive of everyone, and loves the friendly nature of all the people and continues to make a point to travel specifically to Tampa every year for this festival.
Charlie Harriot, a local artist based out of Ybor City, has found her place because of tattooing. Other artists at her shop which she describes as her “tattoo family” have shaped who she is as a person according to her.
Harriot works at the El Encanto Tattoo shop and has lived in Tampa since elementary school. She says the Ybor City area is highly inclusive and diverse which brings her a sense of comfortability which she doesn’t feel she could find elsewhere.
“I was sitting outside with my friend on the water and just realized how lucky I am to be here, like people come here to vacation and we can just live here and make art for a living,” Harriot said.
Harriot, before tattooing, worked many regular jobs which left her dissatisfied. She said she was lucky to have people in her life that pushed her to escape her comfort zone and find a way to make money through her artwork. Harriot said her tattoo family has shaped her into a completely different person and she says that people who knew her before she started tattooing can barely recognize her now.
“I feel like tattooing changed my life forever and I don’t know where I’d be without it,” Harriot said.
According to Pew Research Center, 32% of Americans have at least one tattoo and 22% report having more than one. Tampa Bay has a deep history rooted in art and culture with communities like Ybor City and St. Petersburg being home to the Dali Museum, along with the countless murals scattered around the area the Bay is known to be a vibrant hub for creatives.
With Tampa growing by 109,800 people according to World Population Review, making arts districts grow in importance to ground the city with its historical identity. The Rural Arts District and Ybor City offer experiences filled with tattoo shops and murals embracing art as a part of their culture.
Personal trainer Preston White said Tampa has been more inclusive than any place has been in regards to his tattoos. Originally from West Virginia, White has lived in Tampa for 10 years.
He has attended four Villain Art’s Tattoo Festivals and says the experience is like no other. He describes Tampa as having beach weather nine out of the 12 months of the year so everyone he usually sees is in good shape, leading many to show off tattoo’s on their body.
“At first you feel really exposed because everyone is watching you, but everyone here is super validating, and it’s cool to see different people come up to you and be like that looks sick because getting tattoos sometimes can be scary,” White said.
White says that the world is changing and you can now see doctors, lawyers, nurses and basically every profession have people with tattoos in them. He views Tampa specifically as a place where he can be comfortable and get whatever art he wants on his body without being judged. He has seen the extreme growth of Tampa and says the city is ever evolving and looks forward to seeing what other growth comes.
Villain Arts launched its first festival in 1999. Today, more than 30 shows are hosted throughout the country from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to San Diego, California and Portland, Oregon to Tampa.
