Winnipeg tattoo show sees record attendance, money raised for families of kids with cancer

This weekend's annual tattoo convention in Winnipeg has broken its own attendance record, said organizer Jeff Boivin.

"I think it went phenomenally well," said Boivin, who organizes the Winnipeg Tattoo Show and owns Living Canvas Tattoo in St. James with his wife, Abby Boivin.

He said as of Sunday morning, more than 8,432 people had already come through the doors of the RBC Convention Centre surpassing their most-attended inaugural event in 2018.

Boivin said this year's higher attendance is exciting for another reason: it means more money raised for the Team Brody Foundation, which helps families in Manitoba affected by childhood cancer.

"It's touching to see we've got so many different areas of the community coming together, vendors and artists, to all support one cause that we believe in," he said. "We're very happy that it could happen at our show."

Watch tattoo convention attendees talk about theirnew ink:

Winnipeg tattoo show goers boast new body art

5 years ago

Duration 1:20

Tattoo recipients talk about their new ink and what the art means to them.

This year, the tattoo show auctioned off a collaborative piece worked on by four artists that went to the highest bidder.

"[It] is absolutely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," he said. "Not only did it go to a charitable cause, but to see four amazing artists working on one person at the same time to come together to create a cohesive, stunning art piece it was just amazing."

While Boivin said the winner asked for his bid amount to remain private. However,the event overall has raised well over $7,000, including proceeds from a 50/50 draw and the auction of another collaborative art piecem he said.

Boivin said mainstream acceptance of, and interest in, tattoos have come a long way in the last few decades.

"They're just as diverse as any other art form, and to just watch them create it live, it's inspiring," he said.

"They're always pushing the boundaries of tattoo art. And to see the pieces get created at this show, I mean, I could spend a whole day just standing at one booth, let alone trying to check out [all of them]."

'Truly limitless'

Boivin said events like the tattoo show, which hosted more than 250 artists and more than 50 vendors this year, help give people a better idea of what's possible with some ink and a needle.

"I think the general public has a curiosity to the industry and to the art form," said Boivin.

"It's not just praying hands and or an old-school pirate ship or a skull and crossbones. I mean, the art form is truly limitless. And that's one thing that I get for a response from a lot of people when I engage them on the showroom floor, is, 'We had no idea how amazing tattoo art can really be.'"

Darryl Willard, who was at the tattoo show on Saturday, got a character from one of his favourite video games inked on his left arm.

"It seems like kind of an antagonist, but it's actually one of the bigger pieces to the game," he said.

Willard said the piece has been about a year in the making. He got the idea while at last year's show.

The tattoo is his sixth. Willard said healready has one on his right arm in memory of his grandfather his first tattoo and one on his chest to represent his occupation of fixing and building cars.

"And then the other ones have just been stuff I wanted along the way," he said. "Once you get one, you want to get more."