Golgotha Tattoos, a long-time Carbondale tattooing and piercing parlor, has closed its doors, but that doesn’t mean the artists have packed up and left the city.

Former Golgotha tattoo artist Darren King is opening a new store called Karma Tattoos, located at 100 N. Glenview St. in Suite 207. The new store is being remodeled, but King said he hopes to be ready for customers by Friday.

The artists from Golgotha are moving to the new store. King said new state health laws concerning tattoo and piercing parlors prompted the change.

Advertisement

In July, the Illinois Senate passed Senate Bill 927, which regulated the tattoo and piercing industry in Illinois for the first time on a state level. The law places extra requirements on shop owners, including having a separate room for sterilization and light colored tile on the floor.

King said it was easier to close Golgotha and start anew in a different location.

“It basically came down to remodeling a place and trying to get new walls and stuff in there or having a fresh start over here,” he said.

Piercer Scott Randolph, who also worked at Golgotha, said the old parlor was in accordance with almost every requirement, but constructing a new sterilization room in the old location was not feasible. The change in venue allows for better flow around the parlor and lets the artists get a fresh start, he said.

“It’s just newer and better, you know, we can build from the ground up,” Randolph said.

At Golgotha, owner and artist Darren Ashbaugh, who is also moving to Karma, ran the show. At Karma, all the artists will sub-contract with King, which means they pay rent to operate out of the store. All the artists are now their own boss and have more freedom to work how they see fit, King said.

He said Karma will guarantee all of its work, which means touch-ups and re-dos are free. King said Karma will also have computers so customers can bring in a flash drive and show the artists pictures or renderings of the artwork they are looking for. Karma will also accept credit cards, a change from Golgotha.

Advertisement*

King said the move from the Strip to the west side of town has been pleasant and he enjoys the peaceful atmosphere behind the Murdale Shopping Center. He said the artists’ reputations are strong enough that the move shouldn’t affect their business too much.

“Most people know us, you know, or they’ll find us,” he said.

[email protected] 536-3311 ext. 262