Got an itch to get inked? Save it for September, when the city's first-ever Tattoo Lady Fest makes its mark on Chicago. Hosted by Julia Campione, a local tattoo artist who has been creating body art on Chicagoans for 11 years and running the Good Omen Tattoo on Belmont Avenue for seven, the new festival will feature the talents of 18 women tattoo artists from around the globe.
This is an indelible opportunity—literally and figuratively—for each ink master to show the public what they can do. Attendees can expect to encounter the likes of Nicha Hernandez from Puerto Rico, Jessi Preston from Portland, Britt Kuechenmeister from Los Angeles, Courtney O’Shea from Nashville, and many more at the event, which will be held on Friday, September 5 through Sunday, September 7 at Loft on Lake in the West Loop.
“Tattoo Lady Fest emerged from years of making connections with other women in tattooing,” Campione told Block Club Chicago. “I found power in the shared experience of navigating a male-dominated field.” In truth, it was the presidential election that inspired Campione to take action and make her dreams a reality. “I needed to transform the grief I was feeling into some sort of action,” Campione said. “And I basically said to myself, ‘F— it, I’m doing this!”
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“Chicago is where my tattoo journey began,” Campione told the outlet. “Hosting Tattoo Lady Fest in the city where it all began feels like coming full circle.” And to give back to that community, local nonprofits like Erie House, Sistas in the Village and Brave Space Alliance will benefit from 100-percent of proceeds from raffle sales. On the flip side, raffle winners will receive gift cards priced between $150 and $500 to Good Omen (to add to your arm candy, duh), as well as other surprise gifts.
Open to all ages and free for kids under 12, presale tickets are available now for $20 for general admission, or spend $30 for VIP admission, which includes a drink wristband. Your ticket will get you tasty refreshments, music and special merch (Heather Munson, a stained-glass artist, will have her handmade creations available at the festival), as well as live tattooing. You must be 18, with a valid ID to get tattooed—book appointments directly with the artist of your choice ahead of the festival to secure your spot.