Tattoo Convention Grows Bigger Each Year

CARLTON- There are as many different kinds of tattoos and piercings to get, as people looking to get them.While they used to be considered risqué, that's beginning to change.Body piercer, Ian Bell said, "when I first started like fairly heavily modified it was very, very common for people to give me the weirdest looks just as blatantly and publicly as could be. Recently it's become a lot more common for people to look, I guess like I do."Tattoo artist, Kyle Dunbar said "they thought only sailors and other people, bikers and such got tattoos. Now a days they say oh well look, it's an actual art form."Dunbar says he and his friends are just regular family men...who happened to be heavily inked.Dunbar said, "Im a family member, I'm not doing a bunch of drugs or alcohol you know."The convention gives more than 75 artists a venue to showcase their talents, including local tattooers.Organizer, Dave Nelson said, "the Duluth and Superior area have some magnificent artists. Incredible artwork coming out of this town and out of this community."It's not just a body modification focused event.One artist is donating 20% of all his proceeds to help fight human trafficking in Minnesota, especially in Duluth.Renee Pikula works for Destination Freedom, and organization that helps increase awareness of human trafficking. Pikula said, "we're working closer with a task force in Duluth also because a lot of the Native American population, there's a huge, more trafficking going on within their communities, but also the harbor in Duluth, it's easier to bring girls in and out on the boats."The group is also providing tattoo removal for victims have been branded by their captors.From a mystic form of spiritualism, to a cathartic healing practice tattoo art will continue to evolve.