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Guest Artist

Application Form

Welcome to

The Gay Tattoo Shop!

We’re a queer-owned and operated tattoo shop dedicated to creating a safe, supportive space for LGBTQIA+ artists. Everything about our shop is built around queer visibility and community.


We warmly welcome anyone who stands with and supports LGBTQIA+ people.


Thinking about guest spotting with us?


Please know that our mission is at the heart of everything we do.


WHY GUEST WITH US?

We want to break down barriers that queer artists often face when traveling to work in new shops. Finding a safe, welcoming, and fairly priced spot can be tough so we made one.


We’re committed to an inclusive environment that supports both artists and clients.


WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR:

  • Clean lines and strong color/black saturation


  • A clear, consistent tattoo style


  • Healed tattoos that show your skill and attention to detail


REQUIREMENTS:

  • Must have a tattoo license (from NYC or your home city/state/country)


  • No prior shop experience needed — private studio artists are welcome!


  • No guest spot experience needed - first timers are welcome!


  • Must have a firm understanding of tattoo techniques, proper sanitation, and tattoo aftercare.


WHAT WE PROVIDE:

  • A dedicated guest station

  • Stencil paper and printer access

  • Wireless black & white printer

  • Dynamic black ink

  • All necessary supplies (gloves, green soap, grip wrap, etc.)

  • Tattoo aftercare bandages

  • Cleaning supplies

  • Social support for booking


Note: You’ll need to bring your own machines, needles, and colored inks

We will send you the full supplies list once your applicaiton is approved.

 

BOOKINGS & PROMOTION:


You’ll be fully in charge of booking your own clients, but we’re here to support you! We’ll promote your work on our @gaytattooshop account using the images and designs you send us. Please keep in mind that our promotion doesn’t always mean a fully booked schedule. We are happy to share tips and suggestions to make this a great experience for you.


Our standard opearting hours are:


Wednesday - Sunday


11am - 8pm 


When your clients arrive, we’ve got you covered with consent forms and printed aftercare instructions ready to hand out to everyone you tattoo.

 

COST:


Our goal is to be truly accessible for the community and to create an affirmative, safe space where LGBTQIA+ artists can succeed.


For the duration of your guest spot, you will always pay the LOWER option each day:


FLAT RATE 25%


OR


$100 FIXED COST + $5 FOR EACH TATTOO SET UP


You keep 100% of your tips


We’re excited to help LGBTQIA+ artists shine.

If this sounds like your kind of place, we’d love to hear from you.

THE GUEST APPLICATION

GENERAL INFO:

let us know how you want to be addressed in the shop and on social media

birthday
Month
Day
Year

DATE SELECTION:

At The Gay Tattoo Shop, we welcome guest artists for bookings of 1 to 5 days, Wednesday through Sunday. If you’re looking to book for longer, just let us know—we’re happy to discuss longer term options!

please select the date range(s) that you'd like to guest at the gay tattoo shop:

ARTIST INFO:

do you hold a license to tattoo?
yes

If you are accepted to work at the gay tattoo shop, we will need:


  • a copy of your active tattoo license


  • 5-10 nice quality photographs of your work


  • a photo of yourself to be used in promotion (see our shop instagram for examples of our guest artist posts!


  • flash designs you'd like to promote (optional)

Please submit your application below - we will contact you via the email you provided to confirm and recieve the above information so please make sure it is correct.


... & thanks for your interest in guesting at The Gay Tattoo Shop!!

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