Spit Shade 3

Spit Shade 3: Sailors and Sweethearts, curated by Minneapolis tattoo artists Rachael Bringgold and Adam Underwood, will showcase work from over 40 local & national artists. The exhibiting artists have two criteria they must adhere to; the only mediums allowed are inking, watercolor, oil or acrylic and the artists must interpret this year’s theme as they see fit. Coinciding with Villain Arts Tattoo Convention, the opening night of Spit Shade will be the official kick-off party for this year’s convention. Gamut Gallery is excited to welcome back all the visiting artists from across the nation and looks forward to celebrating the tattoo community.

Curators Bringgold and Underwood selected artists from a pool of current and former colleagues along with artists whose work they admire. The artists represent the diversity of art and tattooing burgeoning in the metro area, ranging from artists with over 20 years under their belts to newly emerging artists who are just beginning to express their craft through their machines. Together they put together an exhibit that allows the artists to express their individual creations and interpretations of this year’s theme, “Sailors & Sweethearts,” a title Bringgold holds close to her heart.

As a participant in last year’s Spit Shade, Bringgold enjoyed the opportunity to collaborate with other artists to showcase tattoo art and styles in a fine art setting. As a tattoo artist with a fine art background, Bringgold is excited for another opportunity to unite her two passions, and share a body of work by this unique artistic community with the wider audience. Inspired by Bringgold’s concept of sailors and sweethearts, Underwood produced the graphic for this year’s exhibition. “It was the first thing I sketched up based on the idea. I liked it, so I ran with it,” says Underwood.