Hypnotique Ink to host Southern Maryland Tattoo Expo Nov. 3
Hypnotique Ink announced it will host its first Southern Maryland Tattoo Expo at the Capital Clubhouse in Waldorf from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 3. The event will feature tattoo artists and shops from across Southern Maryland, Baltimore and Virginia, vendors, tattoo competitions, raffles, live music, children’s activities, food and refreshments and more.
Hypnotique Ink tattoo shop, located at 2894 Old Washington Road in Waldorf, is the dream of owner Marilyn Boswell who said she and her husband, Brent Boswell, opened the business in early July.
“I have loved ink all my life,” Marilyn said. “When we saw this place, as soon as I walked in, I told [Brent] I want it. Within a matter of a week, we began building and we didn’t employ anyone else. My husband, myself and my children, from the ground up built everything in here. We painted all the walls, made all the decor ourselves.”
“The one biggest thing that we all agreed on is that we’re all a family in here,” she said. “We work as a family, we eat as family, we spend our days together and some days it’s 10-hour, 12-hour days. But, again, it’s a family. We wouldn’t be anywhere without our artists. They mean the world to us.”
“We have to be able to support one another, and with that also comes supporting our community,” she added. “When we first opened, we did a back-to-school drive for Children’s Aid Society.”
Hypnotique Ink employs a full-time staff of tattoo artists who Brent said can create designs for customers that are typically worn for memorial, spiritual and sentimental reasons, or simply for the love of art.
“They give us an image, an idea or something like that, and our artist will draw it up for them,” Brent said.
The Boswells said they look for their upcoming tattoo expo to provide a single venue filled with music, vendors and activities where people can meet area shops and artists and learn about the tattoo industry.
“It’s more or less just trying to give back,” Brent said. “Everybody that wants tattoos, they don’t know who to go to. This way they can walk around and they can see everybody tattooing, or look at their work.”
“This is a chance for everybody around to get to know us and for us to get a chance to know everybody else,” Marilyn added. “We want to educate the community, and we also want to bring the community and the tattoo shops together.”
The event will also feature raffles, tattoo competitions and awards, and will culminate with the Southern Maryland Master of Ink competition where Marilyn said participating artists will each draw a raffle ticket, and the attendees who hold the tickets, provided they are present, can receive a two-hour tattoo to be judged in the competition.
Marilyn said that in addition to the day’s activities, a toy drive will be held for Children’s Aid Society of Waldorf to help local, less-fortunate families over the Christmas holiday season, and that a portion of proceeds from the expo will be donated to Special Olympics of Maryland and Last Chance Animal Rescue.
“There’s no better way of giving back to the community that supports you,” Marilyn said. “Without them, you wouldn’t exist.”
For more information on the Southern Maryland Tattoo Expo, go to www. somdtattooexpo.com.