Meet the Spencers. Charlie & Bekki Spencer proudly represent the family business. Not pictured are son, Austin and daughter, Courtney. Photo by KRIS MAYESHIRO

Economists say that art is always a safe investment in hard times. Of course, only the rich can afford to purchase a Picasso for the sake of watching its value climb in order to get a healthy return on an investment. When you see a piece of art that you must have, it’s because you feel a connection. It understands you. Most of us may not have millions, but we are equally entitled to invest in other means to express ourselves. Whether you prefer art on the skin, or art on a canvas, Studio 21 is sure to offer something that will inspire you. The family behind the shop reinforces the importance of a strong support system.

Studio 21 Tattoo Gallery deals all avenues of art; flesh, canvas and most other mediums you can think of; purses, t-shirts, sculptures and they are looking to expand into skateboards. In this tattoo renaissance that began in the mid-80’s and with the increased social acceptance of tattoos, there is no sign of business slowing down.

I met Charlie Spencer at the Art ‘n’ Ink Tattoo Festival at the South Point Hotel when he inked the SINNER logo on my forearm. Since I had the face time, I talked to him about Studio 21 and learned the fascinating story behind this family owned and operated venture, what brought them into this business and lifestyle and the stressors of running your own shop.

FAMILY TIES

Charlie and son Austin are Artist/Owners/Business Partners, wife Bekki handles the financial aspects and daughter Courtney runs the front desk and implements new marketing and product ideas for their thriving family enterprise.

Charlie tells me that Studio 21’s story goes back a lot longer than the 6 years that the shop has under its belt. When Austin was in middle school, He accompanied his dad to get a tattoo and felt that he had found his calling. Being the son of two artists, (Charlie and Bekki met at an art class.) art flowed in his veins.

Austin’s first paid gig as an artist came a few years later in high school. He drew a skull with a jester’s hat for a classmate at school. He was paid $20 for his efforts but more importantly it re-confirmed that he wanted to be a tattoo artist inking his own custom designs. He took on an apprenticeship to learn more about his craft.

SAYING GOODBYE TO THE MAN

A few years later, Charlie was feeling fed-up with the daily grind working as a Civil Engineer. Charlie’s passion for art was not being fulfilled. He recognized that with Austin finished with his apprenticeship that they could really do something. So Charlie cashed in his 401K and quit his job to begin his second career as an entrepreneur and tattoo artist. 2 years later, they opened up Studio 21 and never looked back. In a city known for taking risks, where millions are won and lost everyday, this is one gamble that would pay-off.

The original Studio 21 was on Arville across from The Orleans Hotel & Casino. Like many family run businesses a lot of blood, sweat and tears were invested in making the shop successful. They opened the doors in February of 2003 and have been going strong ever since. According to Charlie, he and Austin worked 12 hour days, 7 days a week, for the first 7 months they were open. They had planned to do it for the first year but no matter how determined a man is, sometimes shear exhaustion will force him to reconsider even the most worthy of plans.

Soon, their hard work began to pay off as their reputation as shop owners spread across the valley which attracted some talented artists. After a couple years, their needs outgrew the shop they were in and they moved to their current location which Bekki says was customized to fit their needs.

NOT YOUR AVERAGE FLOOR PLAN

The layout for the shop is unique like the characters that make up their motley crew and unlike any shop I’ve ever seen. Bekki credits the architect they hired to design it. “The old shop was a traditional style, with pony walls which was great at the time but sometimes the client requires a little more privacy. We had a design in mind and we explained to him our needs and our traffic flow and he came back with this design here.”

The individual artist studios are all enclosed and are accented with little windows opening up to the next one. This way the artists can still communicate with each other but they aren’t in a big open space. There are seven studios in all and they are arranged in a horseshoe-shape centered around the reception desk in the middle. I don’t know if the size of the shop dictated how many artists they were limited to but it seems fitting that a Vegas tattoo studio would feature “7” artists in a lucky “horseshoe.”

According to Charlie they have a full staff of seven artists now. All of the artists decorated their spaces as if it were their homes. Each artist has their own artwork displayed in their studio to show clients what they do when they’re not ‘working.’

THE GALLERY

By being the Studio 21 Tattoo Gallery, They feature artwork by local artists, complete with gallery cards containing the artists name and contact information. As a family of artists themselves, they respect the creative struggle. So they help these underground talents reach an audience by displaying their work throughout the shop.

If you are looking to walk in to a tattoo parlor and choose a tattoo off of a wall then this is not the place you are looking for. The shop has a very limited selection of flash work. Staying true to the concept that each tattoo is custom made for the client. It’s works well since they do not book walk-in appointments. All appointments need to be scheduled in advance. A non-refundable  $50 deposit is required at the time of booking to reserve the time slot. An effective way to prevent flakes who are not serious and may have acted on impulse. Time really is money and no-shows can impact business without taking these necessary precautions. Make an appointment and keep it.

THE INKER’S INK

Charlie enjoys working with different artists because everyone brings something different to the shop. And he said that he would like to be inked by every artist that works there. Sometimes he’s unsure of what he would get, until he sees something special that he likes. He’ll tell them, “I like that one you just did. Give me one like that.”

Charlie sees his own body suit as a work in progress and sticks to the old school idea of bricolage combining different pieces by different artists into one cohesive piece. He says that kids these days rush into getting tattoos and often see “sleeves” or “chest pieces” as one piece and they’ll get it all done in a couple sittings.

I asked him if he considered preserving his suit “yakuza style” in which the skin is removed from the body and framed and displayed as a piece of art. He said that he contemplated that but joked he would rather be stuffed by a taxidermist and placed in the corner. “Oh yeah–here’s my grandpa.” He laughs.

Studio 21 continues to raise the bar both here in Sin City and in the custom tattoo industry as a whole. By being mindful and accommodating to a client’s needs, repeat business and word of mouth is ample. Stop by the shop and check out the art or even make an appointment. If you can’t make it in person, give Courtney a call at 702-248-8762. She will make sure you are treated like family.