To everyone who has been part of Art and Sol
My wife Johnna and my daughter Miela.
Molly, the first artist to take a chance on this place.
Every artist and apprentice who spent time within these walls.
The friends who believed in the vision early.
The artists who trusted us with their work in our gallery.
The admin help and volunteers who showed up when it mattered.
My current team carrying the torch today.
And every single person who has ever sat in one of our chairs…
Thank you.
I don’t fully remember why I felt the need to start Art and Sol. I just knew I had to. It was probably ambitious. But that’s also what made it worth doing.
From the beginning, the goal was simple: build a shop that truly served both the artist and the client. That hasn’t changed.
What has changed is me.
Experience has a way of sanding things down. I’ve been wrong more than a few times. I’ve chased things that didn’t matter. I’ve learned the hard way. And I kept going.
“Hold fast, stay true.” A common phrase among sailors and tattoo shops.
To me, it means you don’t abandon the mission just because the water gets rough. You adjust when the data tells you you’re headed for rocks, not when things get uncomfortable.
That’s what this has been for me. An exploration. With Art and Sol as the vessel.
And if you’ve ever tried to followed an explorer, you know, it’s not easy.
It can be frustrating. I’m always testing, adjusting, pushing for better. Sometimes too fast. Sometimes with expectations that didn’t match reality.
Something I admit I got wrong… I confused growth and size, with success. Bigger space. More chairs. More overhead. I thought that meant progress.
I see that now.
And I’m grateful for everyone who stuck with me anyway.
What this business actually needs is focus. A smaller, tighter, more aligned operation. A group of people rowing in the same direction.
In all of this, I see my role is shifting. I’ve spent enough time in the weeds to know that’s not where I create the most value. The real progress now comes from stepping back, studying the numbers, learning from the past, and making better decisions for the future.
And before you even ask, yes I will still be tattooing! I’ll just have a different schedule that allows me to do both with the focus both jobs require and deserve.
So here’s what this all looks like moving forward:
As of April 1st, Art and Sol Tattoo will be moving out of the Winterhaven location and into a two-chair space inside Moto Sonora Brewing taproom.
Over the past few months, we tested this through pop-ups. The results were clear. The environment works. The numbers make sense. The energy is right.
We’re looking at nearly a 50% reduction in overhead, with a level of visibility that’s hard to even measure.
We’ll be operating 7 days a week, 1pm–9pm, taking both walk-ins and appointments.
Nothing changes when it comes to booking.
You can still call the shop at 520-314-7358 to schedule your appointment.
Justin will continue tattooing full time!
Julia is progressing quickly. She’s working on linework on skin now and will be moving into shading soon. It won’t be long before she’s taking her first clients.
And Brandon Hernandez from Casa Grande will be joining the Art and Sol crew.
Short term, the goal is simple: tighten operations, reduce unnecessary overhead, and build a strong financial foundation.
Long term, nothing changes, we’re working toward purchasing our next building and creating an investment vehicle for our artists and families to own forever.
As part of that, artists will have opportunities to earn equity in Art and Sol. If we’re building this together, it should benefit all of us… our futures, our families, and the life we’re trying to create.
This move is about simplifying. Making it easier to do great tattoos. Easier to get great tattoos. Less noise. More focus on what actually matters.
None of this happens without you.
There are too many memories to count from the Winterhaven location. Getting through COVID. Art gallery receptions with live hawks. Winterhaven festivals. Friday the 13th events and weddings. All of it mattered. All of it impacted this place and us as individuals!
So to every artist. Every client. Every person who supported this place… you helped shape what this is becoming.
The original vision got us here. And because of everything I’ve learned along the way, I now have a real shot at building it the right way.
David R. Meek Jr