Navy vet searches for the right tattoo artist at Cashman Center

Las Vegas resident Daphne McGinnis roamed the aisles at the Body Art Expo at the Cashman Center searching for a tattoo artist who could bring her idea of combining a tiger, dragon and yin yang symbol to life.

“I was in the Navy for 12 years and the tiger is for my squadron, the dragon is for my challenging squadron, and I was stationed in Japan so I’m hoping to incorporate the yin yang symbol as well,” she said Saturday.

McGinnis said she has several tattoos that serve as a reminder of her friends and family.

“For me they’re about the memories you have from when you got them and the feelings you get when you look at them,” she said.

According to McGinnis, it’s important that she finds an artist who is good at tattooing animals and has plenty of experience.

“I came when the show opened so I can talk to people and hopefully schedule something,” she said.

Among the artists that McGinnis talked to was Chris Gagnon of Club Tattoo at the Miracle Mile Shops inside the Planet Hollywood Resort.

“Some people come to you because they’ve seen your work,” Gagnon said. “Others come to you with an idea and you have to feel out what appeals to them by showing them pictures so you get a sense of the direction they’d like to head in. Also, figuring out the size and where they want the tattoo is important.”

According to Gagnon, who has been tattooing for 18 years, artists at Club Tattoo often deal with clients from out of town due to their Strip location.

She said the Body Art Expo helps the tattoo shop reach locals.

“This is a great way to build a relationship with our local clientele,” she said. “The expo also allows tattoo artists to travel, work with other tattoo shops and compete against other artists.”

Event Manager Rudy Martinez said though he expected 20,000 people during the three-day event, which runs through Sunday, attendance figures might be closer to 17,000.

“This is our first time coming to Las Vegas,” he said. “We’ve been across the country but our artists wanted this so we thought we’d take a shot at it.”

Looking to get her first tattoo, Cheri Manning, a Michigan native, came across an artist also from the Great Lakes State and booked an appointment for Saturday afternoon.

“I didn’t want to go on the Strip, and when I found out he was from Detroit I knew I made a great connection,” she said. “I wanted to get something to represent me and my two children so I’m getting doves.”

Manning added that she’s looking forward to her first ink.

“I moved to Vegas in February and it’s time to change things up,” she said of her reasoning behind getting a tattoo.

According to Martinez, 60 percent to 70 percent of the tattoo artists at the Body Art Expo are Las Vegas-based, however, some attendees felt differently.

Sherri and Andrew Spyhalski of Las Vegas said they had higher expectations for the expo.

“There’s so much open space and there should be more local artists,” Andrew said. “There are a zillion people who want to get tattoos and there aren’t enough artists.”

Sherri added that the expo’s website did not specify that tickets can only be purchased with cash.

“There’s an ATM but it charges you a $6 fee,” she said. “This isn’t worth the $20 cost of admission.”

However, Jerome Kreller of Las Vegas said he liked the fact that the event gave him access to tattoo artists from out of town.

“I like the variety of artists,” he said. “They’re from a lot of places that I wouldn’t normally get to.”

Gagnon said since it’s the expo’s first time in Las Vegas, she has higher hopes for years to come.

“There are so many tattoo shops in Las Vegas and I know the locals were hoping to see a lot of them here but that didn’t work out,” she said. “Since it’s the first one they have to get a feel for it and it’ll get bigger every year.”

The Body Art Expo was scheduled to be open until 11 p.m. Saturday night and reopen on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Cashman Center, 850 Las Vegas Blvd. North.

Contact Ann Friedman at afriedman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4588. Find her on Twitter: @AnnFriedmanRJ.