The Long Journey
Around 2012 - maybe ‘13, Mark and Doree started DORK in a cheap little house on Madison Avenue, Memphis, TN. They graduated with their BAs from Memphis College of Art. At the little house they called the ‘shack’ (it was previously a gardener’s shack), they hosted low maintenance music shows and performances with no money, free for everyone to enjoy.
With the help of friends, shows were packed and more and more people wanted to perform there. All the while they continued to make art and support their friends at shows.
Around the same time, Doree and Mark started/continued their tattoo careers in Memphis after going through 5-7 year apprenticeships. Mark having started his tattoo career years before, introduced Doree to his Mentor. Doree picked up as much as she could, cleaned up at the shop and drew flash in her free time in between classes.
In 2016, they started DORK Tattoos after moving to Louisville, Kentucky. Missing their friends, they wanted to create a similar space for creatives but without stepping on the toes of anyone they cared about - a fresh start.
In 2018, the DORK team helped to kick start a non-profit named No More Red Dots by printing merch, flyers/brochures, creating the website and programming for the arts.
From the ground up, Mark and Doree built DORK Tattoo Parlor with their barehands, almost literally, the space was an empty shell until they DIY-ed booths. They had made one of the cleanest shops in Louisville and were (and are) extremely proud of what they achieved.
Through fluctuating times and artists coming and going, DORK was still able to grow, not only with the shop, but themselves too - they learned a lot and matured through the process.
Fast forward to 2023, they closed DORK tattoos and started Relic Supply Co. After 2 1/2 years of planning and renovating a new space, they saw a need for multiple things in the city they’d been working in:
A space that artists and visitors can call their own (now called a ‘third space’), to comfortably discuss and create.
Somewhere to buy good quality supplies for artists and craftsmen/women in Downtown, Louisville.
A relaxing place to get custom tattoos that doesn’t treat your tattoo like the next one in an assembly line. But also somewhere that values and respects the craft of tattooing and ‘crafts’ in general.
From Mark and Doree:
We hope that we can do all of these things and more, while respecting and contributing to the art of tattooing, no matter how long it takes us. Please stick with us as we take on this new journey, and if you have been with us…
Thank you so much, we truly appreciate it!
