Description
Reach new audiences with this timely exhibit exploring the history of inked women and how they’ve shaped tattoo culture in the Golden State.
Almost a quarter of American women now have tattoos, while over a third of Americans between the ages of 18 and 40 wear permanent skin art.
From the upper-class women who started the tattoo craze to the working-class Tattooed Ladies who performed in circus sideshows, this exhibit puts the foremothers of modern tattooing in the spotlight. Through photographs and personal histories, this exhibit uncovers the fascinating and largely unknown story of women and tattoos before WWII. A show-stopping mannequin, hand-drawn by current Bay Area female tattoo artists and specially commissioned for this show, highlights how far women and tattooing have come.
The exhibition includes the following themes:
- Introduction
- Native Ink
- Wealthy Women and the Tattoo Craze
- Tattooed Ladies (Circus Sideshow Performers)
- Female Tattoo Artists
- The Mechanics of Tattooing
- Tattooing After World War II
This exhibit is also available as an online exhibit! Book the online exhibit as a stand-alone experience, or pair it with the physical exhibit when you host. Visit our online exhibits page to learn more.
Tattooed and Tenacious: Inked Women in California’s History is a traveling exhibition from Exhibit Envoy in partnership with the Hayward Area Historical Society and History San Jose.
Specs
- Audience:
- Adults, Teens
- Rental Fee:
- $1,000 + shipping for an 8-week booking
- Size:
- 800 sq. ft. with interactives
- Languages:
- English, Spanish (via accompanying PDF)
- Security:
- Limited
- Installation Images:
- View Here
Exhibit Components:
- 18 images on canvas (12”x18” and smaller) with accompanying labels
- 1 introductory panel, 7 section panels, and numerous secondary panels
- 1 mannequin featuring the work of contemporary female Bay Area tattoo artists
- Digital Spanish translation of the exhibition script
- Exhibition press kit with digital images and social media templates
- Suggestions and templates for low-budget interactives
Schedule and Availability
Past Dates | |
July 9, 2015 – September 9, 2015 | Hayward Area Historical Society, Hayward |
March 20, 2016 – December 31, 2016 | History San Jose (Pasetta House), San Jose |
February 26, 2017 – April 23, 2017 | |
December 31, 2017 – March 11, 2018 | Sutter County Museum, Yuba City |
March 25, 2018 – May 28, 2018 | Mt. Shasta Sisson Museum, Mt. Shasta |
June 10, 2018 – August 19, 2018 (10 weeks) | Downtown Library, Roseville |
September 2, 2018 – December 30, 2018 (17 weeks) | Channel Islands Maritime Museum, Oxnard |
June 9, 2019 – August 4, 2019 | Grace Hudson Museum, Ukiah |
September 15, 2019 – December 8, 2019 (13 weeks) | California Indian Museum and Cultural Center, Santa Rosa |
January 5, 2020 – March 1, 2020 | Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum, Vallejo |
April 11, 2021 – October 24, 2021 | Camron-Stanford House, Oakland (Rescheduled) |
November 7, 2021 – January 9, 2022 | Knight Library, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR |
January 23, 2022 – March 20, 2022 | San Luis Obispo Library, San Luis Obispo (Rescheduled) |
April 3, 2022 – May 21, 2022 (7 weeks) | AVAILABLE |
June 12, 2022 – August 7, 2022 | San Joaquin County Historical Society and Museum, Lodi (Rescheduled) |
August 21, 2022 – January 1, 2023 (19 weeks) | University of California, Santa Barbara Library, Santa Barbara |
January 22, 2023 – March 19, 2023 | Temecula Valley Museum, Temecula, CA |
April 9, 2023 – June 4, 2023 | AVAILABLE |
June 25, 2023 – August 20, 2023 | AVAILABLE |
September 10, 2023 – November 5, 2023 | AVAILABLE |
November 26, 2023 – January 21, 2024 | AVAILABLE |
February 11, 2024 – April 7, 2024 | AVAILABLE |
April 28, 2024 – June 23, 2024 | AVAILABLE |
July 14, 2024 – September 8, 2024 | AVAILABLE |
September 29, 2024 – November 24, 2024 | |
This show will travel indefinitely! Contact us to discuss booking dates beyond 2024.