Memphis Tattoo Festival – Memphis Flyer

Cameron Carroll traveled from the north Seattle area to Memphis for the Memphis Tattoo Festival, held April 4th, 5th, and 6th at the Renasant Convention Center.

It was his second year attending the festival, Carroll says. College Station, Texas, tattoo artist David Hershman worked on one side of his leg last year, and his other leg this year. Carroll says he “had to come back. [Hershman] invited me out here, and I flew out from Washington.”

**Jen Archer, James Archer, and**
**Jacques Van Wyk**

Asked what he likes about the festival, Carroll, who sports seven tattoos, says, “It’s a blast. Amazing people. It’s always a good time. Just a bunch of laughs. Great people out here. It’s a fun time.”

**Austin Gilbert,** **Breanna Nelson, Christina Robertson, and Travis Robertson**

Quinn Hurley, director of operations for the three-day event presented by Tattoo Fest and the Explore Tattoo Conference, was pleased to be “coming back to a city that really embraced us and embraced us again this year.”

**Madelynne Caldwell and Makayla Weaver**

**Zach Morris, Sarah Lee, Adrian Hood, Leah Chester, and Jenner and Joshua Brook**

“This is an artistic show,” he says. “Everyone that’s here is here because they love some sort of art. A lot of it’s tattooing, but we have our vendors that make art as well. And so we wanted the festival to reflect the love of that.”

Quinn Hurley did his best to get the Memphis Tattoo Festival to leave its imprint on Memphis. The event was presented by Tattoo Fest and the Explorer Tattoo Conference.

“We had a little over 3,000 attendees over the weekend,” says Hurley, director of operations for the three-day event held April 5th through 7th at the Renasant Convention Center. “For a market the size of Memphis, we definitely consider the event a success. It’s hard to pin down exactly how many tattoos were done over the three days. I would expect that number to be upwards of 500.”

And, he says, “It can only grow from here — and will. The reception from Memphis-based tattoo artists, specifically, was amazing.”

Hurley’s first tattoo was the logo for the Guardians of the Galaxy. “I got it on August 5, 2014, which was the director’s birthday. And it wasn’t great, so I got it redone a couple of years later.”

Why do people want to get a tattoo? “It’s a way to express yourself. It’s literally a way to wear your heart on your sleeve.”