CULLMAN, Ala. (WIAT) — Shykeim Rashidah is a Huntsville tattoo artist and the owner of Art-I-fact Tattoo Gallery. He hasn’t been able to paint on his usual canvases in months, since state orders were announced.
Like many close-contact businesses that can’t enforce the six-foot social distancing guidelines, tattoo parlors remain ordered inoperable in Alabama.
“We have not been given unemployment, we have not been approved for PUA [Pandemic Unemployment Assistance] loans, FPUC [Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation] loans, or pandemic relief money or any of these things that are federally subsidized,” Rashidah said.
Naturally, Rashidah and other parlor owners’ businesses have suffered tremendously during the shutdown, but they’re also ineligible for many business support programs.
They’re frustrated because as Rashida said, their normal sanitation procedures are more stringent than the businesses legally open now:
“Those of us with the most foresight already implemented a lot of that to start with when this whole thing began just to protect ourselves because we’re mainly a self-directed crowd like he said we already know what to do, we already protect ourselves – actually we could teach some people some things.”
The reason those standards are so high is that, unlike a barbershop, their trade can have similarities to a doctor.
“We’re dealing with blood and bodily fluids and there’s a common risk that we only share with doctors,” he said.
He and other tattoo artists are even more frustrated because on top of still being inoperable, opportunity for business is sitting ringing their doorbell. Simultaneously, some others who are eligible for unemployment have more money coming in the mail each week than they did when they were working.
“There’s a lot of people who were getting about 800 bucks a week who were making 400 just two months ago and now they’re ringing my phone off the hook wanting tattoos.”
As the state government plans further reopening, Rashidah already has suggestions:
“At least a facemask for the artist and the client. At least a face shield for the artist would be smart as well as limiting clients to one at a time and no friends coming with them.”
Even if you’re the type of person who sticks to temporary tattoos, you and your community can support local tattoo artists. Artists sell clothing, art and more to support their families while they’re temporarily out of a job.
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