Raleigh Tattoo Arts Festival inspires artists and attendees with needles and ink

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Needles and ink are taking center stage in Raleigh’s Convention Center this weekend.

The Tattoo Arts Festival brings artist from around the country to show off their skills.

Local artists are also in the mix, like Liz Peterson from Fayetteville.

“I’ve been tattooing since about 2020,” she said.

It is Peterson’s second year at the festival.

“It’s incredibly inspiring and it kicks my butt a little bit, you know, to see so many people that I don’t even know making these fantastic tattoos,” she said.

Peterson said when she is creating a tattoo for someone, she likes to get inside their head, asking “What do you like about the design that you showed me or the design you talked to me about?”

For many people, their ink is personal.

Austin Johnson’s third tattoo showcases his love of the outdoors.

“I am getting an owl done, kind of like majestic looking. I’m kind of going for a sleeve with basically all nature,” he said. “I’m a really like nature guy. I like hunting and fishing and doing things of that nature.”

His second tattoo is even more meaningful.

“This one’s in memorial of my brother that passed away of a car accident,” he explained.

Johnson said that symbolism is why he gets his tattoos.

“I will always be able to wear him on my arm, and I feel like it always keeps a piece of him with me,” he said.

For others, tattoos are spontaneous.

“I was here for like maybe 10 minutes and then found that one,” said Jordan Miller, attending the festival for the first time.

Miller said he used to be the only one in his family with ink, and his family hated his tattoos. However, Miller said he has convinced some of them otherwise.

“Actually, my mom is now getting as many tattoos as I am, and she was very against them,” he said.

Peterson said she has also seen the same growing acceptance of tattoos, and she said she is glad more people are able to express themselves and get the ink they want.

“Every day I get to hang out with a new person, and I get to meet them. I get to talk to them, and I get to know them and I get to kind of permanently make my mark on their life and they kind of make their mark on mine by getting a really cool tattoo,” she said.

The Tattoo Arts Festival extends through Sunday.