Empire Arts Gallery in Kirkwood, founded in 2020 by Brandi Smart and Malia Rifkin, operates as a hybrid space combining an art gallery, a tattoo studio, and a boutique. Gallery coordinator and tattoo artist Jessica Locklar, along with manager Sara Slick, run the space, hosting exhibitions for local artists while also offering tattoo services in a welcoming, femme-operated environment. The gallery fosters community by blending art sales, exhibitions, and tattooing in a symbiotic model.
This matters because Empire Arts Gallery represents a grassroots, DIY approach to sustaining an art space, where tattooing funds the gallery and keeps it operational. Its emphasis on bodily autonomy and a non-intimidating atmosphere challenges traditional, often masculine-coded tattoo shop culture, while also making contemporary art more accessible. The model shows how alternative revenue streams can support community-focused art venues in local neighborhoods.