What exactly are we selling when someone walks into a tattoo and/or piercing studio?
Most people would answer that question the same way: a tattoo, a piercing, a piece of art, a form of self-expression. That answer is not wrong, but it is incomplete. And in my experience, that gap between perception and reality is where both the power of this industry and its biggest problems exist. Because what we are really part of is something much deeper.
How Benjamin Alexander Hamilton is raising the standard for body modification employers.
In Benjamin Alexander Hamilton’s world, tattooing and piercing are synonymous with identity and vulnerability. Yet, he believes that the industry delivering these services lacks structural care. As the CEO and Managing Partner of Best Studio Ever, Hamilton notes that this disconnect defines one of the most pressing problems in the field.
Cultural milestones are slowly diminishing in frequency, leaving young adults searching for tangible markers of transition. Benjamin Alexander Hamilton, CEO of Best Studio Ever, believes body art has emerged as one of the last authentic rites of passage in modern American life, standing as an embodied declaration that adulthood has arrived and autonomy now rests in one’s own hands.
Our biggest focus is people. We care about our staff, our clients, and our communities. We want folks that are genuinely committed to the client experience and give value to the trust clients place in us with a change they hope to experience. While viewed mostly as a physical and visual change, we’ve found that piercings can often be much more meaningful to an individual’s personal growth.
Eugene Weekly
Winner: Bunny Knox
KMTR 16 Eugene
"The business community, in particular, shouldn't be using this opportunity to play the victim card here,” Overton said. “I think it's important we understand that we're not the victims, we're just a part of the collateral damage of something that's a bigger change. An important change. And if I have to clean up a little bit of glass to be a part of that, that's ok with me."
Eugene Weekly
High Priestess Eugene Campus
The Daily Barometer
According to Paul, culture is becoming more accepting of tattoos, and this has trickled down to some employers, so more people are willing to get them and display them.
Oregon Live | The Oregonian
There are a lot of reasons to get a tattoo. You can get one that says something about you, or reminds you of a person or important event. Or, you can just get one because you think they look cool. I have 10 tattoos, some of which are meaningful in some big or small way and some of which just look cool. My next tattoo will hopefully be meaningful because it was chosen by you, a stranger, and look cool because it was done by a great artist.
Capitol Hill Seattle Blog
“I want to create a welcoming and calm space here,” said Brooker. “We will be completely remodeling the whole space, creating a much more modern feel over the next one-to-two years.”
Eugene Weekly
Lopez has recently completed other murals in Eugene, such as the Technicolor feathered elephant mural on the exterior wall of High Priestess Piercing and Tattoo (210 W. 6th Ave). He will return next month to complete other local art commissions.
Eugene Weekly | Best of Eugene 2015-2016
KPIC News 4
Eugene Weekly | Best of Eugene 2013-2014
Eugene Weekly Coverstory
The Daily Emerald
The Corvallis Advocate
High Priestess, part of a six-location chain that was founded back in the 90s in Eugene, has been hanging out in Corvallis for just over a decade and has made itself a part of local culture. With six tattoists and two piercing artists running a full-service studio at the Corvallis location, you’d be hard pressed to bring them a project that they couldn’t complete.
