Villain Arts’ 12th Annual Chicago Tattoo Festival offers more inclusion and diversity for its return, with Woodstock’s own Lost Lagoon Tattoo

More than 400 tattoo artists came together for a weekend of culture, creativity and craftsmanship at “The 12th Annual Chicago Tattoo Arts Convention” in Rosemont.

The convention was held March 18-20 at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 N. River Road, where it took over the entire main floor.

Crowds shuffled by each stand, taking time to look through every piece of flash designs or observe the artists tattooing clients behind their booths. Artists from all over the country set up stands where they interacted with convention-goers.

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As things change and inclusivity becomes more prominent, Vivin Sims, owner of Lost Lagoon Tattoo, 105 E. Church St., in Woodstock expressed the importance of creating a safe space for clients.

Sims’ shop is staffed by six women and two men. This includes Sims herself, who is not just the owner but a tattoo apprentice as well.

The shop is listed on TransFriendly, a world-wide network for trans and non-binary people to find safe businesses.

“It’s very important to me that everybody gets treated equally,” Sims said. “If somebody comes in and doesn’t follow the beliefs of the shop, … they see that, and they either don’t come back, or they adjust to how we want everyone to conduct themselves and respect each other in the shop.”

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