Downtown Champaign welcomes new queer tattoo studio

By: Jada Fulcher (She/They)

Hidden away on the fifth floor of The Lincoln Building (44 E Main St) is Downtown Champaign's newest tattoo studio. Run by local musician and artist Isabel Skidmore (They/Them), the tattoo shop will allow Skidmore to provide a new kind of tattoo experience to folks in Champaign-Urbana. 

"I love the idea of it being a private space where you can be assured that there's not going to be random people that could walk in," said Skidmore.

Unlike traditional tattoo studios, which often have a more open floor plan and multiple tattoo artists working at a time, Skidmore's space is a private shop that allows for customers to receive tattoos in a smaller setting, which works for Skidmore's clientele and the artist.

"I'm super Covid conscious, and I really want a space where people feel safe with their Covid precautions as well, so there's not just people walking in without a mask and that kind of thing," said Skidmore.

While lauding our local tattoo scene, Skidmore specifically shouted out Newlife Tattoos. They also mentioned the experiences that informed why they wanted to create a more private, LGBTQ+ run studio. 

"As a queer person, I definitely felt like I had to be more careful with the shops that I was going to, just because I want to feel comfortable, I want to feel understood, I want to feel confident to take ownership of my body and my tattoos." said Skidmore. 

Creating a space that feels welcoming to queer folks has always been front of mind for them, as they take inspiration from the now-closed Champaign tattoo and event space The Recreation Club. The space closed after Skidmore's friend and mentor Carly Benjamin passed away in 2023. 

"The Recreation Club closed and that was a huge loss for the community and for me," said Skidmore, "that was sort of the blueprint for me of a private space where you felt safe, you felt like there weren't going to be like random assholes walking in, and you didn't feel like there was going to be this shop, you know, bro-y type experience. I think Carly really made a beautiful space in that respect."

Skidmore plans to debut their shop this weekend, February 8 and 9, for a flash tattoo event with queer tattoo artist Curren (@thatpokehurt on Instagram, also full disclosure Curren is a part of the Lavender team!). Bringing guest artists to work in their studio has also been a huge plus for Skidmore in getting their own space. 

"I think collaborating with other artists and giving people a variety of options is the best thing, and bringing that variety to Champaign is important," said Skidmore.

To get a slot at their Flash Days event, you can sign up here! The event will go from 11 am to 6 pm each day, with Skidmore working on Saturday and Curren working on Sunday. Sign ups are first come, first served, and they close at 6pm today, so don't miss out! Folks interested in getting custom tattoos at their shop can follow them @bug.vevo on Insta to find their booking form and keep up with when their books open next.