When Will Graham opened Neon Crab Tattoos and Piercing in London?s Kipps Lane neighbourhood four years ago, he saw a tight-knit community with potential for growth.
The neighbourhood was ideal because it?s densely populated, on several bus routes and between Western University and Fanshawe College. But the area was wrestling with the false perception it was a violent, unsafe place to live.
?I?m kind of new to London, but what I?ve learned is that everyone hears ?Kipps Lane? and they think ?Gangland? and it?s really not,? he said.
In the last four years, Graham has gotten involved in the community and fought against that negative perception.
His work led to a spot as a finalist for a Pillar Community Innovation Award in leadership. (The awards will be handed out Nov. 13 at the London Convention Centre).
Soon after Neon Crab opened in the Kipps Lane Plaza, Graham launched the Pink Ink event when his staff volunteer their time to tattoo pink ribbons in October to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer.
He also works with the Carling-Thames Family Centre painting interactive murals, runs the northeast community market, an outdoor market with a focus on youth entrepreneurship that he hopes one day will be like the ?Dragons? Den of London,? and is trying to start a Kipps Lane business association.
As if that wasn?t enough, Graham also is working on developing a tattoo convention in London.
He?s already laid the groundwork for that by having a recognition and award show for local tattoo artists with plans to expand it to include open submissions from any London artist.
?Tattoo artists are still considered tattooists. We?re not really recognized as skilled labour or artists in our own right. It?s still very much a back-door industry and it shouldn?t be,? he said.
His tattoo studio has grown from the small single storefront it once had with Graham as the only artist, to now taking up more space in the plaza and employing 11 artists.
In 2010, he opened a second Neon Crab Tattoos and Piercing in Parkhill.
Born and raised in Kitchener, Graham travelled Ontario before planting roots in London in 2005.
A multimedia artist, he began his training at Eastwood Collegiate in Kitchener. He worked as a commercial artist for seven years, his work taking him across the province, working on everything from album covers and movie posters to fine-art prints. His work was displayed in Times Square in New York City in June and the Arts Project in London.
Now Graham is trying to raise funds to open a community art gallery where anyone can access exhibition space.
?I guess I just like giving back now that I?m available and able to.?
kelly.pedro@sunmedia.ca
twitter.com/KellyatLFPress
Source: http://www.lfpress.com/2012/10/28/passion-for-ink-kipps-lane
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