ABOUT THE EVENT

Tattooing is a custom dating back thousands of years in North America. Traditionally, women and men used them to visually express tribal affiliation and war honors, as well as connections to divine beings, maturity rites and social and religious affiliation. These expressions of identity continued with the person after death — ensuring their place in the afterlife. Today, tattoos have been adopted by military personnel, musicians, college students and countless others. Although many are works of art, others, unfortunately, are not! Explore these traditions and artistic expressions with Dr. Eric Singleton, Curator of Ethnology at the National Cowboy Museum.