Downtown Charleston's first tattoo studio has opened its doors after City Council voted to amend the zoning ordinance in December to allow for such businesses.
After a successful health department inspection this week, Nick Quinn began work at Gilded Age Tattoo, at 113 Hale St.
Quinn, who also co-owns Black Eagle Tattoo in Kanawha City, said he first tried to open a downtown tattoo shop on Lee Street about eight years ago, but was turned down because the zoning ordinance prohibited tattoo and piercing shops in the central business district.
"We signed the lease, had all the paperwork done and paid the deposit," he said, but the ordinance's restrictions brought those efforts to a screeching halt.
With 15 years of tattooing experience, Quinn garnered more than 1,500 signatures in an online petition requesting last fall that the city revise its zoning ordinance to allow tattoo shops.
While most city officials were supportive of changing the ordinance, Quinn said he faced some opposition during the process from those who didn't want a tattoo studio opened on Capitol Street.
He ultimately decided on the Hale Street location.
"The only thing I was concerned with was the amount of foot traffic I would get, [because] there's much less here than on Capitol Street," he said, "but it's worked out really well."
Gilded Age occupies the same building where the Rialto Theater used to be. Quinn said the building's history goes well with the shop's art deco theme, marked by angular, symmetrical geometric patterns throughout the interior.
While he's hired a second tattoo artist, Brad Norman, Quinn is still seeking another full-time artist.
The roughly 1,600-square-foot studio also has space to accommodate guest artists, which Quinn says is common in the tattooing community.
"We'll have rotating guest artists in here," he said. "I've worked from Philadelphia to San Diego, just stopping along the way and working in people's shops."
Those who want piercings, though, won't be able to get them at Gilded Age.
"I use all disposable equipment, so bringing piercing on . . . is just one more headache, along with displaying jewelry and constantly having to order it," Quinn said.
He said he feels confident the business will attract a broad customer base, in part because he says it's "a little classier than what people are used to" when they think of tattoo shops.
Now that Gilded Age has joined Charleston Area Alliance, Quinn also looks forward to participating in ArtWalk.
"I want people to know we're here not just for tattooing, but to be an asset to the community," he said.
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Just down the block, on Capitol Street, a boutique catering to those who love all things eccentric opened last month.
Naomi Bays, who owns Oddbird Gift Emporium, at 247 Capitol St., calls the boutique "decidedly quirky."
With an array of merchandise from knick-knacks to kitchenware, jewelry, humorous office supplies and art prints, Bays said there's something in Oddbird for, well, odd birds.
"I look for things that kind of speak to me," said Bays, who's worked for years to help bolster Charleston's art scene and helped form the Arts Council of the Kanawha Valley in 2009.
"I'm trying to fill that niche of weird, quirky items, but I also try to [balance] that with, 'Would that actually work within our demographic?' "
While some merchandise is made by local artists, Bays also buys items from wholesalers and other crafters around the country.
With a 1,500-square-foot storefront, Bays has plenty of space to expand the boutique in the future.
In the meantime, she's planning designs for a blade sign to hang outside the shop, pending the City Council's passage of a bill to allow the projecting signs in downtown Charleston.
Reach Elaina Sauber at elaina.sauber@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-3051 or follow @ElainaSauber on Twitter.