City of Bryan, tattoo artist argue over definition of art
The City of Bryan has entered into the art business, or more specifically, determining what art is.
Cliff Collard purchased a building in Downtown Bryan in November with the intention of relocating his business and art gallery, Arsenal Tattoo, out of College Station. An art studio is permitted under the specialized zoning of the area, and Collard thought he was in the clear to relocate his business, considered by many to be the premier studio in the Brazos Valley, to the eclectic and artistic Downtown Bryan.
"With my line of thinking, with a degree in painting and the amount of drawing and artwork I produce every day, I thought of it as an art space, a creative space," said the 39-year-old Collard. After Collard had purchased the building at the intersection of 26th Street and Sims Avenue, city staff informed him that tattoo shops were not art studios and were not permitted in the area.
On Tuesday, Collard and more than a dozen supporters lobbied the Bryan council to reconsider and grant him a conditional use permit. The tattooed supporters, some with gray hair and some with pink, told the council members that the stigma against the art form was largely antiquated.
More at http://www.theeagle.com/news/local/article_04f8265f-b6ec-5a5d-9e18-5f9aa5bdbe65.html .
