LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Like many business owners, tattoo artists across Kentucky are in crisis as COVID-19 devastates their industry.
“We have no income coming in," owner of Imperial Tattoos in Louisville, Sean Smallwood said. “We had a lot of customers all lined up. Luckily some of us have had a small amount saved up, but that is dwindling at a rapid rate.”
Some shops are on the verge of permanently closing.
“If this goes for another month or two, it’s going to be rough for us to stay open," owner of Baldy's Tattoo and Piercing Parlor in Radcliff, Hal Carder said.
Kentucky Tattoo artists hope to be on the first wave of establishments that are allowed to go back to business if Kentucky reopens.
“I’ve got bills to pay, I’ve got rent, I’ve got mortgage, and I’ve got car payments," Carder said.
Some of them have been creating art for more than 20 years.
“People’s money and appointments are floating in air and we're in limbo because we don't know when we can or will we ever be able to work at this point," owner of Hornets Nest Elite Art Studio, Billy Noel said. "It’s gotten pretty scary and it’s getting kind of hectic because all of our bills are still rolling through.”
The coronavirus has forced people to change habits to stay healthy, but the artists said the kind of work they do already forces them to take precautionary steps.
“Before COVID-19 we treated everybody like they had it anyway," Carder said. "We treat everybody like they have bloodborne pathogen or a virus and [the shops] are always clean before the customer comes in and when they leave, it’s clean again.”
To reopen, some owners are willing to invest in arm cloths, masks for customers and employees, protective cover for furniture and a variety of cleaning products.
“I have safety glasses that have a disposable lens shield on it to keep distance between me and the client," Noel said.
While treating the virus seriously, they want their futures to be taken into consideration.
“This isn’t a joke and I understand why they shut things down, but there are ways we can safely go back to work," Carder said.
Contact reporter Senait Gebregiorgis at SGebregior@whas11.com and follow her on Twitter and Facebook.
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