Gustavo Chavez of Imperial gets a tattoo from an artist at Gusto Tattoo Co. of Canoga Park during the fourth annual Desert Sunset Tattoo Expo in El Centro on Friday, April 8. On the receiving end, Gustavo Chavez of Imperial had never been to a tattoo expo before Friday evening, April 8, but he was there to get his second tattoo, saying the ink bug got him earlier in the year and he had the itch to get another. ![]() He and his fiancé had seen the advertisement on the side of the road some weeks ago and figured the timing was perfect. “I want to meet new artists, see what I’m going to be getting into in the future,” said Chavez, who wants to get his whole leg tattooed. “It’s very helpful for someone who wants to get into tattoos in the future.” There were plenty to tattooists to choose from as some 62 artists came from all over for the fourth annual Desert Sunset Tattoo Expo, which started Friday afternoon and runs through Sunday, April 10. Serving as an expo hall for the three days is the Best STEP Forward gym at 260 E. Main St.Īrtists came from all over California, from cities like San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Pedro, to name a few. Tattooists also came from Mexico, Arizona, Las Vegas, and even Chicago. Organizer of the expo, Juan Gamas, who owns High Point Tattoos in El Centro, had organized an expo years before with a friend. After that friend moved from the Valley, Gamas wanted to continue a local event. Gamas said the Desert Sunset Tattoo Expo is the one time and place the Valley will be able to see tattoo artists of this caliber gathered in one place, and he wanted people to have the opportunity to meet them and get work done by them. ![]() Mexicali tattoo artist Daniel Duran works on the details of a marijuana leaf on the chin of Linda Romero of Calexico during the fourth annual Desert Sunset Tattoo Expo in El Centro on Friday, April 8. Some 62 artists from around the country were in attendance at the three-day tattoo expo, which ends Sunday, April 10. “I’m excited to see everyone working, talking to people, meeting other artists.” “They never would have bumped into these artists if they didn’t come,” he said. Numerous people could be seen getting tattooed on Friday evening, some reclining on tables for larger pieces and some getting smaller tattoos like flowers or hearts. And as loud music throbbed over the sound system - hip-hop in one area while Mexican music played in another - artists were hunched over their subjects, whether they be humans getting inked or iPads being sketched on. ![]() with the most Realtors per capita are: Arizona, where 1 in every 168 residents is a Realtor. There were those who came seeking specific artists or styles and those artists who came specifically to meet other tattooists or expand their portfolio of work. The tattoo industry is projected to grow by 8 over the. Robert Garcia, owner and artist at Different View Tattoo Parlor in El Centro, said the expo has been an opportunity for other people to see his work and for him to see other artists work from out of town.
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