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Tourist on National Mall for Easter: Photo Essay

Tourists venture out on the National Mall for Easter Sunday. Photography by Briona Arradondo.

National Cherry Blossom Festival

The cherry blossoms are in full bloom, and tourists are coming from around the country for the National Cherry Blossom Festival. The opening weekend features a “Family Day” event at the National Building Museum, with arts and crafts activities for children, youth dance performances, and middle school bands. Travel down to the Tidal Basin by the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial and find thousands of visitors enjoying the flowers by the water. Although this is a time for celebration of spring, the festival organization is also raising money for Japan disaster relief. All donations are going to the American Red Cross, located on their website. Briona Arradondo has the story.

NCBW Awards in DC

The National Congress of Black Women is honoring locals today for their outstanding achievements in service to their community. Briona Arradondo has more from some of the honorees at the ceremony. The honorees included D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray for his commitment to the district community; U.S. Command Sgt. Maj. Michele S. Jones for her achievements in the military and service in the Obama administration; Linda Jo Smith, formerly of Pepco, for her initiatives in helping the community; and Myles Parker, a high school student, for her dedication to volunteering. The awards luncheon was at the Navy Yard in southeast D.C. on Saturday, and it opened to a full house.

Youth gang summit looks for answers

Violence is up around the district, and young people tend to be the most involved. A youth conference last Saturday brought people together to find some answers. A 7 percent increase in homicides for this year now plaques the D.C. area, and violence in the Maryland and Virginia areas continues at a strong pace. A good number of the crimes committed are believed to be gang-related, police say. People at this conference were from all over the region and a diverse group of ages. They came to discuss their experiences with gang violence and ways to deal and prevent more violence in their communities.

Valentine’s Day spending up

Valentine’s Day spending is up this year, and shops got ready for the rush. This is the busiest time of year for some stores, and one is still making sales days later. A National Retail Federation survey estimates that people will spend almost $2 billion on flowers and gifts this year, according to the press release. Caruso Florist on M Street is continuing to receive orders for flowers to make up for missing the holiday, says shop owner Mike Caruso. Caruso Florist has been in business for about 100 years, and this year, the shop saw about a 30 percent increase in sales. Down in Adams Morgan, Biagio’s Fine Chocolate shop was bustling with customers days leading up to Valentine’s Day too. Owner Biagio Abbatiello says he estimates about a 500 percent increase in sales, all for that one day. Briona Arradondo reports on what the shops experienced and how one couple decided to dodge the mayhem.

D.C. council introduces health and fitness bill

D.C. councilmembers are pushing for better health. Councilmember Jack Evans of Ward 2 introduced a bill to promote fitness and healthier living in the district. This bill would bring exercise programs to the workplace and to recreation centers for people of all ages, from youths and seniors. Getting in shape is important with almost a quarter of the district’s population obese and about one-third suffering from hypertension, according to a D.C. Council press release. I spoke to a personal trainer at Washington Sports and Health about the importance of nutrition and fitness. To find out more about the relationship of obesity to Americans, I spoke with an American University professor who conducted a health study and found that low-income minorities are more prone to obesity and hypertension.

‘Win the future’ to conquer American dream

Innovation, education, responsibility and rebuilding America – President Obama stressed these key goals in last night’s State of the Union address.

The president set the tone for his speech with a nod to the Tucson shootings. He says Americans must remember that we are all part of an American family.

“No matter who we are or where we come from, each of us is a part of something greater,” President Obama says.

Now facing a more partisan Congress, the president says he urges members to work as a team.

“We will move forward together, or not at all – for the challenges we face are bigger than party, and bigger than politics,” the president says.

Some talking points included education reform. President Obama says to make Americans more competitive, we could take cues from the rest of the world.

“In South Korea, teachers are known as ‘nation builders.’ Here in America, it’s time we treated the people who educate our children with the same level of respect,” the president says.

Hot topics like immigration and healthcare were also in the mix.

“I am prepared to work with Republicans and Democrats to protect our borders, enforce our laws…that debate will be difficult and take time. But tonight, let’s agree to make that effort,” the president says.

President Obama says the future of innovation is investing money in clean energy technology. He mentioned the successes of several average Americans who took their dream and moved forward.

Getting the country out of debt was another important point. The president is proposing a 5-year domestic spending freeze and cuts to non-security areas of the country’s budget.

“I’m willing to eliminate whatever we can honestly afford to do without. But let’s make sure that we’re not doing it on the backs of our most vulnerable citizens,” the president says.

President says sacrifice is needed. He says making hard choices now is the only to improve America’s future.

Preserve tattoo culture, traditions says local business owner

nk up: Nikki "Balls" Lugo works on Zeno Ben-Amotz's panther and snake tattoo. (Photo by Briona Arradondo)

The rite of tattooing, a traditional way of working to earn respect and recognition in the tattoo industry, may be a dying practice, according to one local tattoo business.

Beginner tattoo artists traditionally learn their craft through apprenticeships, which give them the opportunity to work in a tattoo shop and learn techniques from practicing artists. Nikki “Balls” Lugo, a veteran tattoo artist who works at Tattoo Paradise in Adams Morgan, said she started as an apprentice before she branched off to advance her skills.

“The rite of tattooing – it’s like building respect for the field and doing things right,” said Lugo, who specializes in traditional-style tattoos. “It’s respect for tradition instead of buying a kit off the Internet.”

Matt Knopp comes in to work at the Wheaton, Md. location. (Photo by Briona Arradondo)

Matt Knopp, the owner of Tattoo Paradise, said the tattoo industry is now saturated with insincere people. This trend, he said, comes from individuals who enter the tattoo industry based on what they see on reality television shows.

“A lot of people want to get into it because they see shows and think it’s a laidback lifestyle. [They] think they can get in it for the money and have it made,” Knopp said. “A lot of us have been in it for a long time and aren’t making money.”

Lugo said the popularity of tattooing from reality shows is good and bad for the industry. It puts the artists out there, but “every [expletive] thinks they can be a tattoo artist. It’s really ruined the field,” she said.

It is important for tattoo artists to be passionate about their work and should want to support the art of tattooing, Knopp said.

“It’s a welcome thing for people that care about it, and they want to be involved and they want to know it,” Knopp said. “But it’s different for the guys that are here just to make a buck.”

The making of a tattoo artist

Art always had a presence in Knopp’s life. He got his first tattoo at 15 years old and created a tattoo machine from a Walkman to practice tattooing on high school classmates. For a while, Knopp lost interest and strayed from tattooing while he worked for a printing company. But he returned to art again in 2002 as a full-time tattoo artist.

“This is what I love. This is what I’ve wanted to do,” Knopp said.

Lugo adjusts the tattoo stencil and draws on minor changes. (Photo by Briona Arradondo)

After working as an apprentice at Emerson Forth’s Tattoo Circus in Miami, Knopp came to Washington, D.C., to open Tattoo Paradise in 2003. The shop relocated in April from a small basement property in Adams Morgan, and it now sits between The Reef nightclub and Bukom West African Cuisine restaurant on 18th street. A second location in Wheaton, Md. was added in 2006.

Since opening the business Knopp said that he is very happy with everyone who works for him. Lugo, who joined the shop in 2006, said that fate brought her to tattooing. She held other jobs before she started tattooing at 25 years old.“Drawing is what I do best, so it all kind of made sense,” she said.

Before working as a tattoo artist, Lugo worked with ceramics and sculptures, but she didn’t want to continue working solo.

“I’m very drawn to the social aspect of tattooing,” Lugo said.

The social atmosphere of tattoo shops also attracted Erika Fries, who works as a piercer at Tattoo Paradise. Fries said everyone is always friendly, and she likes the interaction with clientele.

“The thing that I always liked was how everyone left stoked, and I thought, ‘I want to do that everyday,’ ” said Fries, who has pierced for 15 years. “No matter how big or small the job is, people always leave here very happy.”

Fries said the job can be monotonous, but people make the experience different everyday. When performing these personal procedures, the clients tend to open up, she said.

“They share with you jobs that they do or research or whatever, and it’s really interesting because I’ve learned quite a bit,” Fries said.

Good customer service

When someone is in a tattoo chair, that person should be the artist’s priority, Knopp said. The tattoo business, he said, is all about customer service and “doing what people want.” Regardless of the tattoo the client wants, an artist has to perform “without an attitude,” he said.

Tips for first-time tattoo clients

Look at the artist’s portfolio to make sure the tattoos and style are similar to what you want. “Every reputable artist has a portfolio of their work,” Knopp said. Make sure the shop is clean and gives a good vibe. “You don’t want to get a tattoo at a place that doesn’t feel right to you,” Knopp said.

“When you’re working at a shop, you got to give them what they want, and you do it with a smile on your face,” Knopp said. “I don’t have to like what you want to do, but I’m going to give you the best product that I can possibly give you.”

Drawing a tattoo and then “pulling it off the way you want” is something Lugo said is an exciting part of her job. One tattoo she performed on a regular client stands out in her mind as one of her best pieces.

“It was just a butterfly with big eyes and tear drops in the wings,” Lugo said. “It just looked sick.”

In the tattoo industry, quality tattoos aren’t discounted, Knopp said. Tattoo parties, where a person gives free or cheap tattoos at social gatherings, are sought after as a cheaper option, Knopp said. These parties belittle the tattoo business and are dangerous places to get tattoos, he added. He explained that reputable artists refuse to work at tattoo parties. It lessens the value of their hard work and discredits the medical aspect of a tattooing procedure, he said.

“I could reach in the trash can, take a needle out of a dirty container, and make it look clean,” Knopp said. “It makes us all look bad because you’re there basically selling your soul for nothing.”

Ben-Amotz talks to Lugo about favorite music artists while he gets the tattoo. (Photo by Briona Arradondo)

The meaning behind tattoos
People often believe that a tattoo needs meaning before they pay for one, Knopp said. But, sometimes, a meaning isn’t necessary to get a tattoo.

“If you know want you like, get it,” Knopp said. “It should be enough that you like what you are getting instead of waiting to have a story to go with it.”

When Zeno Ben-Amotz came to the shop, Lugo tattooed a “traditional American tattoo” of a snake wrapped around a panther on his forearm.  There was no reason behind it – “it’s what I want,” Ben-Amotz said.

Miyun Park, an animal advocate from Adams Morgan, got a tattoo of a wasp on her foot to symbolize the importance of animals or insects that others may not value.

“What the wasp represents is strength and standing tall and doing what you have to do,” Park said. “That’s why I wanted it on my foot.”

Although meaning is important for some people, opinions change and the meaning of tattoos change, Lugo said. She emphasized that the tattoo “should look cool,” and people should be less concerned with trying to be unique, she said.

Tattoo Culture

Tattoo conventions give artists the opportunity to travel worldwide and showcase their skills. At these year-round conventions, artists can learn various techniques and network with professional artists to promote their businesses and services. Some styles of tattoos include tribal, Celtic, Chinese characters and portraits. “Old school” or traditional-style tattoos include bold designs, pin-up girls, roses, skulls and various American symbols.

“Nothing in this world is unique. It’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard,” Lugo said. “Just get what you like. It shouldn’t matter if someone else has it.”

Whether a tattoo has meaning is only one element of the art. Knopp said that tattoos, clients and tattoo artists are aspects of an old art form he thinks is worth preserving.

“A lost art is a lost art. Once it dies, it’s hard to bring it back,” Knopp said. “This is what I do for a living, so I don’t want to see it die in my day.”

Pottermania: Not just for kids

The excitement is building as the seventh installment to the Harry Potter series comes close to opening day in theaters across the nation this Friday. Young kids won’t be the only ones hitting movie complexes for a piece of the magic.

At 21 years old, I have been a Harry Potter fan for quite a few years. Although I came late in the game to some, my appreciation for J.K. Rowling’s magical characters started the minute I finished the first few chapters in the first book in 2001. It’s been a love affair ever since. I still remember anticipation of the fifth, sixth and especially seventh books. I pre-ordered each one, and waited in a 50-plus person line at an Atlanta Wal-mart for two hours to pick up my copy of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.”

At the midnight book selling, everyone talked excitedly about the previous books and speculated about how the series would end. Once I had received my book, I immediately began reading, and several people, including myself, took precautions to avoid hearing someone blurt out how the book ended. Not one of us wanted to hear, “Harry dies!” or whatever else. It was like there was a code of respect among the die-hard Potter fans; not one of us had the desire to spoil the experience for the other. The word “experience” is the proper way to describe the series and its movie interpretations.

Some people ask what’s so special about Harry Potter and wonder why adults are just as taken with the books (and now movies) as the book’s intended audience. Rowling has a talent to releash your imagination into a world that is almost as real as this one. Rowling’s attention to detail and ability to make the main characters relatable to some part of my personality struck a chord with me and is likely one of the main reasons I am an admirer of the books. Any book that can make me speed read 700 pages and stay up until 4 a.m. to finish it is worth the media hype in my book.

I would have already bought my ticket to see the seventh film, but I’m waiting to see it with other Potter fans back home over Thanksgiving. It would be fun to see everyone dressed up as characters from Hogwarts, like when the first movie opening in 2001, but I’d rather experience the film with friends who’ve grown up with the books as I have.

When I see the film, it will probably feel bittersweet, like it felt when I finished the Deathly Hallows book. I have full confidence that this film’s interpretation will be just as epic as the previous films, and years from now, I’ll be ecstatic to say that I took part in Pottermania since its origination in 2001 after the first movie’s release.