In a day when people have to tighten their purse strings, it is a major fete to celebrate 20 years in business. Celebrate they did at the Underground Art 20th Anniversary Party at the Hi-Tone at 1913 Poplar Avenue on Feb. 2.
The party featured local bands such as The Gloryholes, DJ Heat, Capgun, New Science System, Sin City Scoundrels, Sidewayz, SVU and a comedy performance by Mo Alexander. Activities included an art auction from local artists and from employees, as well as a book swap.
Those daring enough to participate in making art of their own could do so on easels set up for Art in Action.
People who wanted the ink without the needle could get a henna tattoo applied. Henna tattoos typically last one to three weeks before they fade from the skin.
Dave Evans, one of the Underground artists, said that they just wanted to throw the party to say, “Thank you, to their customers that wanted something different in a tattoo.”
Evans says that Underground’s tattoos are art based and are,” Building blocks of a life…drama on skin.”
Evans attributes the longevity of the business in part to being in a community like Cooper-Young where, “Everybody knows everybody.”
At the shop’s inception, the neighborhood was at the beginnings of its urban renewal. Vanessa Waites, a tattoo artist at Underground, says that when the shop first moved into Cooper-Young, that it, “helped to stabilize,” the area and encouraged people to move in to the neighborhood, becoming a cornerstone of Cooper-Young.
Angela Russell, the owner of Underground Art, agrees that the neighborhood has changed and grown over the last 20 years,
“It’s gentrified in a way it wasn’t 20 years ago. There’s valet parking for God’s sake.”
The party featured local bands such as The Gloryholes, DJ Heat, Capgun, New Science System, Sin City Scoundrels, Sidewayz, SVU and a comedy performance by Mo Alexander. Activities included an art auction from local artists and from employees, as well as a book swap.
Those daring enough to participate in making art of their own could do so on easels set up for Art in Action.
People who wanted the ink without the needle could get a henna tattoo applied. Henna tattoos typically last one to three weeks before they fade from the skin.
Dave Evans, one of the Underground artists, said that they just wanted to throw the party to say, “Thank you, to their customers that wanted something different in a tattoo.”
Evans says that Underground’s tattoos are art based and are,” Building blocks of a life…drama on skin.”
Evans attributes the longevity of the business in part to being in a community like Cooper-Young where, “Everybody knows everybody.”
At the shop’s inception, the neighborhood was at the beginnings of its urban renewal. Vanessa Waites, a tattoo artist at Underground, says that when the shop first moved into Cooper-Young, that it, “helped to stabilize,” the area and encouraged people to move in to the neighborhood, becoming a cornerstone of Cooper-Young.
Angela Russell, the owner of Underground Art, agrees that the neighborhood has changed and grown over the last 20 years,
“It’s gentrified in a way it wasn’t 20 years ago. There’s valet parking for God’s sake.”
“In 1993, the tattooing Renaissance was just starting and it has just grown ever since. We’ve grown up with the business. We’ve grown up together.” Angela Russell, owner Underground Art
Russell also says that just like the neighborhood, her shop has grown.
“In 1993, the tattooing Renaissance was just starting and it has just grown ever since. We’ve grown up with the business. We’ve grown up together.” Growth did indeed occur and as of last year Cooper-Young was named to the American Planning Association’s top 10 best neighborhoods in America and Underground Art has been voted into the top three tattoo shops in Memphis in the Memphis Flyer’s Best of Memphis over the past several years. With growth comes gratitude. All proceeds from the anniversary party benefitted Literacy Mid-South. Russell says that she and the artists at Underground feel that since they have received so much support from the neighborhood and city that, “Twenty years speaks for itself. We want to give back as much as we can. We want to pay it forward.” |