The Delta Ink Exhibition, the companion show for the 2025 Delta National Small Print Exhibition (DNSPE), showcased the artistry of tattoo and body art through interactive displays, synthetic skin canvases and live demonstrations.

Designed to complement the DNSPE’s exploration and focus on ink-based art, the exhibit highlighted and featured 12 tattoo artists as works of fine art and forms of self-expression. The exhibition had three main components: the “Pound of Flesh” canvases displayed on the gallery walls, synthetic skins pinned to the walls and an interactive art piece for patrons.

Lydia Dildilian, an assistant professor of painting and curator for the Delta Ink Exhibition, said that because the DNSPE focused on the relationship with ink, she wanted to expand the theme by curating a companion show featuring tattoo artists.

“I really wanted to feature tattoo artists because I think art is such a complicated and beautiful field, and it has a huge impact on so many aspects of life,” Dildilian said. “Tattooing is one of those things that people don’t always consider ‘art’ with a capital ‘A’.”

She said tattooing is the most accessible form of art and that traditional artwork can be expensive and take up space. Additionally, she said tattoo art allows the body to serve as its own canvas.

“If you love something enough to have it permanently on your skin, that’s powerful,” Dildilian said. “That’s a big conversation we’re having with students—rethinking what counts as art and how artists sustain themselves.”

The exhibition featured 12 artists except one from the Arkansas Delta region.

Nickole Ashlock, a tattoo artist for the Aletha Tattoo Atelier shop in Houston, lived in Jonesboro from 2004 to 2021 and plans to return in April.

She said she first became interested in tattooing after meeting a heavily tattooed man in Arkansas who did it as a secondary job. She asked him questions about tattoos and he educated her. At 14, she decided she wanted to be a tattoo artist. 

“I became obsessed with it, the design, the art, the craft, all of it.” Ashlock said.

She said she felt honored to be featured in the exhibition, especially since she never expected to be displayed in a fine arts gallery as a tattoo artist.

“Tattoo art isn’t always thought of as being in the same line as the fine arts, so having my work be displayed is an honor and a privilege,” Ashlock said. 

She said she encourages students interested in tattoo art to take as many art classes as they can.

“If I had done things differently, I would have taken more art classes in my college education because there’s always going to be something from those classes that you can apply towards tattooing,” Ashlock said. “Always be open to educating yourself.”  

Another featured artist, Shelby Tarver-Kent, owns Stingerz Tattoo Studio in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas. 

She began tattooing in 2020 under an apprenticeship with Bewitched Body Art but had always been a part of the tattoo industry through family, particularly her father, who owned a tattoo shop. 

She said she initially never wanted to be a tattoo artist but changed her mind after falling in love with the artistry. 

“It made me so anxious just thinking of the permanence of it! But I needed to find a way to be an artist every day, so I decided to give it a try and I instantly fell in love with the work,” Tarver-Kent said.

She said her work is influenced by childhood comforts, including fairies, flowers, surrealism and “all things magical.” 

She said she loves the whimsy. 

“It excites me to mix nostalgia alongside something that constantly requires effort and growth to do good work,” Tarver-Kent said. “Little me would be so happy to know she draws her favorite things all the time and gives them to people who appreciate them!”

However, she said she wishes more people understood that this career is very “all or nothing” and oftentimes becomes hard to balance as a business and brand. 

”There’s just so much that goes into being a tattoo artist and it can be very overwhelming sometimes. I would tell people who are looking into it as a career to really look into the business part of it, not just the fun parts,” Tarver-Kent said. 

Regarding Delta Ink, she said it felt interesting and fresh to see a tattoo to be framed in a gallery. She said being a good tattooist does not equate to being a good artist, and vice versa. 

“It’s hard to meld the two worlds together sometimes,” Tarver-Kent said.

Additionally, she said she was impressed with her fellow artists’ work. 

“I love the industry so much and it just really was so awesome to see everyone as a collective put effort into something for the arts,” Tarver-Kent said.

The Delta Ink Exhibition’s display of synthetic skin required artists to create an original piece for the exhibit. Ashlock’s synthetic work was inspired by the 2024 election results. She said she wanted to visually express her feelings as a woman under President Donald Trump’s administration.

“When the election result came out, I was crying all day,” Ashlock said. “But, the piece shows as a reminder to yourself that things may not be great but there are still wonderful things around you to keep going.”

Her piece depicted a woman—herself, as a reference photo—crying with black-stained tears with a golden halo above her head.

Tarver-Kent’s synthetic work was more focused on technique and style.

“I just measured everything and drew the stencil up! It took me a total of 30 hours to complete! I was just wanting to do something that matched my painting style, I thought it would be a fun challenge,” Tarver-Kent said.

Her piece depicted an illustration of a girl’s head opening into a hot air balloon floating in the blue sky.

At the Delta Ink Exhibition, an inactive drawing installation was placed called the  “Duck-Duck-Draw.” Students, visitors and participants could touch and draw on the duck and once completed, the duck will be displayed in various locations around campus. 

Sarah Purcell, a senior fine arts studio major from Paragould, said she was drawn to Delta Ink because it aligned with her personal career goals – aspiring to become a tattoo artist in the future.

“I already have a genuine deep respect for tattoo art, but seeing that I could pursue my dreams as a tattoo artist and still be represented in a traditional space someday is incredibly inspiring,” Purcell said.

Additionally, she said as an art student it was important for an academic setting to feature and display tattoo and body art. 

“This show validates our ‘taboo’ dreams, so seeing a room full of art representing the people who have found success in goals similar to my own is so inspiring,” Purcell said.

Purcell said she has five tattoos and plans to get more. Her favorite is on her forearm, a blackwork tattoo of magnolia flowers which was designed and tattooed by Shannon Capels, another featured artist at Delta Ink.

“I got this tattoo during my fifth semester of college, when I really wanted to drop out,” Purcell said. “That tattoo has developed a message that means more than to keep going, but also to work hard, practice discipline and dream bigger than I think I can.”

On Feb. 21, there was an artist talk mediated by Dildilian, Madeline McMahan (assistant director and museum curator at BAM) and Robyn Wall (an assistant printmaking professor) with Ashlock being one of the four panelists. 

Purcell attended the talk and said she appreciated Ashlock’s comment on how tattoo artists’ goal to create art is different from how traditional artists’ create art.

“Tattoo artists are responsible for bringing to life the client’s ideas in a way that represents them and makes them feel better than before they got the tattoo,” Purcell said. 

The closing celebratory event, the Delta Ink Crawl, took place in downtown Jonesboro across three venues—two at Gallery of Ink and one at Brickhouse. 

At Gallery of Ink, two professors were tattooed live. At Brickhouse, students designed their own tattoos using zines created by Tally Pitman, the assistant professor of animation. The event also featured temporary tattoos and iPad stations where attendees could digitally design personalized tattoos.

Dildilian said she hoped students created a broader connection between art and design by exploring career possibilities.

“We want to expose students to new ideas and new ways of working,” Dildilian said.

Dildilian said the exhibition saw more student and public engagement than usual and although this was a “big undertaking” from a curation standpoint, she said it was a worthwhile experience. She said she hopes to repeat it every four years so new students can participate. 

The Delta Ink Exhibition will remain open until 4:30 p.m. and is located at the Fine Arts Gallery, Room 102.

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