Canvas Tattoo & Art Gallery Canvas Tattoo & Art Gallery
tattoo shops in charlotte nc

Where Art, Community, and Transformation Converge

Canvas Tattoo & Art Gallery in Charlotte has redefined the tattoo experience, blending
exceptional artistry with inclusivity and a sense of belonging.

Located in Charlotte’s vibrant NoDa Arts District, Canvas Tattoo & Art Gallery stands apart as
more than a typical tattoo studio. It’s a place where tattoos tell stories, build communities, and
leave legacies. Founded by U.S. Army Ranger Jason Baker, Canvas has grown from a local
studio into a national leader, while staying true to its core principles of inclusivity and care.

From Army Ranger to Tattoo Innovator
Jason Baker’s journey to founding Canvas Tattoo & Art Gallery was anything but ordinary.
Before tattooing became his passion, Jason served as a U.S. Army Ranger for ten years. His
military service, particularly with the 75th Ranger Regiment, taught him the importance of
leadership, discipline, and camaraderie. After his service, Jason spent 18 years working in the
corporate world, eventually rising to the position of Senior Vice President at Iron Mountain.
While successful, his corporate career left him feeling disconnected from a deeper sense of
purpose.

At 44, Jason decided to step away from the corporate world to build something meaningful. His
vision was simple: create a space where exceptional tattoo artistry flourishes and where human
connection and community are prioritized. The result was Canvas Tattoo & Art Gallery.

The Birth of Canvas Tattoo & Art Gallery
Jason had been exposed to tattooing during his time in the military, where tattoos were a form of
personal expression and storytelling. As he transitioned to civilian life, he realized that while the
tattoo industry was full of artistic talent, it often lacked a sense of inclusivity and community. This
gap in the market inspired him to open Canvas in 2015, with a focus on creating a welcoming
space for people from all walks of life.

Canvas isn’t just a place to get a tattoo; it’s a place where stories are shared, art is celebrated,
and clients feel a sense of belonging. Jason wanted to create a studio where the artistry of
tattoos could flourish alongside a community spirit.

Influence, Change, and the Old Guard
“There’s no square inch of the Earth that’s not changing, and if you don’t adapt, you die,” Jason
says. This principle is central to his approach to tattooing and business. In an industry steeped
in tradition, Jason has been able to innovate while respecting the roots of the craft. His focus on
inclusivity, storytelling, and community-building has redefined what a tattoo studio can be,
pushing Canvas forward while challenging outdated norms in the tattoo world.

Artistry that Tells a Story
At Canvas, every tattoo is more than just a piece of art; it’s a personal story. Whether it’s black &
gray realism, color realism, or geometric designs, each tattoo is crafted with the client’s unique
journey in mind. Canvas artists work closely with clients to understand their stories, their
struggles, and their triumphs, ensuring that each piece holds deep, personal meaning.
“We want every tattoo to reflect who they are or what they’ve been through. Every tattoo is a
part of their story,” says Jason. This personal connection with clients sets Canvas apart from
other studios.

Inclusivity as a Core Value
Inclusivity is at the heart of Canvas Tattoo & Art Gallery. The studio actively fosters a welcoming
environment for clients from all backgrounds, identities, and walks of life. Whether it’s someone
getting their first tattoo or a seasoned collector, Canvas strives to make everyone feel at home.
Canvas is proud to be a studio that embraces diversity and identity in all its forms. The
artists at Canvas come from a wide range of cultural, sexual, and gender backgrounds. The
studio is a sanctuary for those with diverse gender identities, sexual orientations, and cultural
experiences. Canvas fosters an environment where gender identity and sexuality are
celebrated.

In addition to its diverse team, Canvas has hosted over 70 cultural and charity events, including
art shows, talent showcases, and fundraisers. The studio has a strong commitment to
supporting marginalized communities, with a special focus on LGBTQ+ advocacy and gender equality. This commitment to using art as a tool for social change has made Canvas a
beacon for those seeking a tattoo experience that goes beyond art itself.

Building a Legacy of Community Care
Jason Baker’s philosophy of “community-connected capitalism” is the foundation of Canvas
Tattoo & Art Gallery. For him, giving back to the community is not just a nice gesture, it’s integral
to the business. Whether through charity events, supporting marginalized groups, or offering a
space for personal expression, Canvas strives to create a culture of care and respect.
“What’s most important to me is that we create a space where people can be themselves,”
Jason explains. “Tattooing is an incredibly personal experience, and we want to make sure that
people feel respected and cared for throughout the entire process.”

Canvas has grown to be not only a destination for top-tier tattoos but also a place where people
can share their stories and celebrate their individuality. The artistry and the experience matter
equally.

National Recognition: Best Tattoo Shop in North Carolina for 2025
Canvas Tattoo & Art Gallery’s commitment to excellence has earned national recognition. In
2025, the studio was ranked #1 in the U.S. by TrustAnalytica based on Google reviews and
industry reputation. Additionally, Canvas was named Best Tattoo Shop in North Carolina for
2025, further cementing its place as a leading studio in the nation. Notably, Canvas has been
recognized as North Carolina’s Best Tattoo Shop for six consecutive years.

Additional Accolades for Canvas Tattoo & Art Gallery
● Google’s Highest-Rated Tattoo Studio in North America — 4.9★ | Over 2,200
Five-Star Reviews
● TrustAnalytica (2025): Ranked #1 Tattoo Shop in the United States and #1 in North
America
● Big 7 Travel / Enjoy Travel (2025): Featured in “The 50 Best Tattoo Parlours in
America” and ranked #2 nationally
● Queen City Nerve – Best in the Nest (2025): Winner — Best Tattoo Shop; Runner-Up
— Piercing Shop; Daniel Marca — Best Tattoo Artist in Charlotte
● TattooDeepInk.com (2025): Named among the Top 50 Tattoo Shops in North America
● Elevate Lifestyle (2019–2025): Charlotte-based publication honoring Canvas as Best
Tattoo Shop in Charlotte for seven consecutive years

● INKPPL Tattoo Magazine (2025): Featured in “Lucky Seven: Top 7 Tattoo Studios in
North America”
● Review Magnets (2025): Highlighted in YouTube’s “7 Best Tattoo Shops in the U.S.”
feature
● PsychoTats (2023): Ranked #28 Best Tattoo Studio in America
● Wanderlog (2025): Verified 4.9★ rating with 2,170+ reviews, confirming consistent excellence

These accolades reflect Canvas’ unwavering dedication to artistic quality, customer care, and
community values. Despite the success, Canvas remains focused on its mission to build a
welcoming community and continue creating meaningful art.
Canvas Tattoo & Art Gallery: A Vision for the Future

Looking ahead, Jason is committed to continuing Canvas’s mission of inclusivity,
community-building, and creating art that tells a story. He envisions a future where tattoo studios
are even more integrated into the fabric of their communities, where tattooing continues to
evolve as a form of self-expression.

For Jason, the journey is far from over. “Tattooing isn’t just about getting ink on your skin; it’s
about telling your story, honoring your journey, and connecting with others who share similar
experiences,” he says. “Canvas will always be about more than just the art—it’s about people,
about community, and about creating something that lasts beyond the tattoo.”

Visit Canvas Tattoo & Art Gallery
To learn more about Canvas Tattoo & Art Gallery or to book your appointment, visit
www.canvastattoos.com. Join a community where creativity, care, and inclusivity come together
to make your tattoo experience unforgettable.

Follow Canvas on Social Media:
● Instagram: @canvastattooandartgallery
● TikTok: @canvastattoos
● Facebook: Canvas Tattoo & Art Gallery
● Google Reviews: Canvas Tattoo & Art Gallery Reviews

Canvas Tattoo & Art Gallery continues to redefine what it means to be a modern,
community-focused tattoo studio. It’s a place where art, culture, and care intersect, creating an
unforgettable experience for every client.

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tattoo shops in charlotte

Best Tattoo Parlor in Charlotte NC

TattoosΓÇötheyΓÇÖre a big decision. And it doesnΓÇÖt matter if youΓÇÖve got a mural inked on your back or if youΓÇÖve never been under the gun before, itΓÇÖs important to choose only the best.

Canvas Tattoos has been servicing the tattoo loving public since 2015. Staffed with the best artists and creating a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere, Canvas Tattoos’ is dedicated to giving you a beautiful piece of art, a personalized experience, and excellent customer service.

Visit full article at https://bestthingsnc.com/tattoo-parlors

American Towns Media

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Voted 2018’s Best Tattoo Shop in Charlotte NC

Don’t make your next tattoo a contender for bad ink. Canvas Tattoo & Art gallery in Charlotte features artists with serious skills and variation of styles that have ΓÇö literally ΓÇö got you covered. Step into this clean, comfy and art-filled studio to experience a great session with one of the six artists in the shop, or pick out your next conversation piece for that blank space on the wall that you just can’t seem to fill.

Visit full article at https://m.clclt.com/charlotte/critics-picks-consumer-culture/BestOf?oid=12199258

2018 Best of Charlotte Critic’s Pick – Creative Loafing

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tattoo shops in charlotte

FOX 46 Unfiltered: Jason Baker of Canvas Tattoos

Watch this video - https://www.facebook.com/DianaAlvearFOX46/videos/1637160919672244

“ItΓÇÖs kind of like they hit your sister.”

I’m starting a new thing on my Facebook page called FOX 46 UNFILTERED.

Here you’ll hear from someone I’ve interviewed – unfiltered, no edits, just their words as they said them.

Today, we meet┬áJason Baker, owner of┬áCanvas Tattoo & Art Gallery┬áin NoDa. He’s a good friend of┬áAshley Bacon, a bartender at┬áDog Bar┬áwho was sucker punched by a customer Brian Snider over a $2.50 beer.

Jason’s offering a $500 reward to anyone who provides information that leads to Brian Snider’s arrest. It’s selfless acts like these that show why NoDa is not just a hip neighborhood in which to hang out, it’s a wonderful place to live. Neighbors care about each other and they step up to help one another.

Here’s Jason – unfiltered – the way his family and friends like it.

Charlotte Tattoo Artists

NODA community supports grieving father after son killed

Credit: Gofundme pageCHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) –

The son of a Charlotte barber shop owner was killed last weekend in Fayetteville.

Kareem MooreΓÇÖs 9-year-old son Zamarie Chance died after an apparent beating at a hotel. This week, his mother Crystal Matthews was charged with the murder.

ΓÇ£It really touched me in a way that, I wanted to do something,ΓÇ¥ NODA artist Sam Sullivan says.

Sullivan is one of many in the community that is putting brush to canvas, to help Moore in his time of need.

ΓÇ£I donΓÇÖt have a lot of money, but I have a lot of art,ΓÇ¥ she says.

Moore owns ΓÇ£BarberΓÇÖs SquareΓÇ¥ in NODA. His friend and fellow business owner Jason Baker says the grieving father is approaching the devastating situation with compassion.

Credit: Gofundme pageΓÇ£He said right off the gate, ΓÇÿI forgive her.ΓÇÖ And just talked nicely about her, basically saying, ΓÇÿI know that wasnΓÇÖt the true her,ΓÇÖΓÇ¥ Baker, who owns Canvas Tattoo & Art Gallery said.

Baker set up shop on North Davidson around the same time Moore did, just less than a year ago. Quickly, the two grew close, and Baker is now urging the community to rally around his friend.

“When I saw this goodness coming out of him, even in this tragedy, that’s kind of where this started. We’ve got to do something for him,” he says.

Now, local artists and businesses are doing just that. They are donating their talents and time to create a silent auction. Money raised will support Moore, while his shop in Charlotte stays closed.

ItΓÇÖs an instance of strangers coming together, to help a neighbor in need.

ΓÇ£The fact that heΓÇÖs somebody I donΓÇÖt know doesnΓÇÖt take away from what I want to be able to do, to help,ΓÇ¥ Sullivan says.

The auction is scheduled for Nov. 11 at Canvas Tattoo. For more information, click here (https://www.facebook.com/events/1996286030639188/).

There is also a GoFundMe account for the Moore family set up here (https://www.gofundme.com/help-for-kareem-b2).

Copyright 2017 WBTV. All rights reserved.

Tattoo Shops in Charlotte

NODA businesses band together to help father who lost 9-year-old son

 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Several businesses in NoDa are feeling the heartbreak of Kareem Moore.

Moore owns ΓÇ£BarberΓÇÖs SquareΓÇ¥ off North Davidson Street. His shop was closed Thursday so he could deal with the death of his son.

There is a sign posted on the front door that reads: ΓÇ£Due to a family emergency BarberΓÇÖs Square will be closed until further notice.ΓÇ¥

Police in Fayetteville found MooreΓÇÖs 9-year-old son, Zamarie Chance, unresponsive in a hotel room. They believe his own mother beat him to death.

Jason Baker, Owner of Canvas Tattoo and Art Gallery, said he is heartbroken for his friend.

ΓÇ£I have a 12-year-old boy. I canΓÇÖt even imagine the heartache that he is going through right now as a father,ΓÇ¥ said Baker.

Baker said he spoke with Moore this week.

ΓÇ£We have exchanged some messages and he’s hurting, as you can imagine,ΓÇ¥ he said.

Baker said the news of the boyΓÇÖs death really hit the NoDa business community hard. Channel 9 found that many businesses are hosting fundraisers and raffles to keep MooreΓÇÖs shop open and to help pay for funeral costs.

The owner of Salud, Jason Glunt, said he plans to raffle off a 9-liter bottle of beer and give the proceeds to Moore.

ΓÇ£My heart was broken. My wifeΓÇÖs too. Kareem is a really nice guy,ΓÇ¥ Glunt said. ΓÇ£We are doing whatever we can to help him out.ΓÇ¥

Baker said he is holding a silent auction to help Moore. It is called Just Us for Zamarie and will be held Nov. 11 from 1 p.m. until 6 p.m. at the Canvas Tattoo and Art Gallery off North Davidson Street.

Moore told Channel 9ΓÇÖs sister station, WDTV in Raleigh, that he forgives his sonΓÇÖs mother. He also said he had no idea she had been taking medication for about a year for a mental illness.

Baker said one aspect of his silent auction will include education from mental health professionals.

ΓÇ£Maybe learn a little bit more and prevent something like this from happening in the future,ΓÇ¥ said Baker.

Charlotte Tattoo Shop

NODA tattoo shop says LGBT flag stolen, orders three more

 

attoo Shop in Charlotte NC

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV)

In a place that makes people stand out, Canvas Tattoo owner Jason Baker wants to make sure they fit in.

ΓÇ£I think itΓÇÖs important to let people know theyΓÇÖre accepted,ΓÇ¥ he said. ΓÇ£Small gestures mean a lot.ΓÇ¥

Small gestures like the flags planted outside his NODA shop. Military support, religious inclusivity, and LGBT acceptance have always been on display there, he says. Until one of the markers mysteriously disappeared.

ΓÇ£It just felt like something was missing as I pulled into the driveway,ΓÇ¥ Baker recalled.

The LGBT pride flag, he said, was gone. Baker then took to social media.

ΓÇ£Our flag was stolen,ΓÇ¥ he remembered writing. ΓÇ£Ordered three more today… this is our values, steal it as many times as you want, IΓÇÖm prepared for two more thefts right now.ΓÇ¥

Now thereΓÇÖs a new flag, and two more duplicates on standby.

He hopes itΓÇÖll send a message.

ΓÇ£People who are kind of about knocking people down, are pretty loud in todayΓÇÖs world,ΓÇ¥ he said. ΓÇ£I think itΓÇÖs important that if you want to lift people up, youΓÇÖre as loud today.ΓÇ¥

He hopes his shopΓÇÖs heavily-trafficked street means that message spreads beyond the buzz of tattoo guns.

ΓÇ£You donΓÇÖt have to be part of a group to understand what itΓÇÖs like to not be accepted,ΓÇ¥ he said. ΓÇ£I can certainly identify with feelings of wanting to be loved and accepted.ΓÇ¥

Copyright 2018 WBTV. All rights reserved.

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Coverup Tattoos Charlotte

Big Brother Gets Tattoo Of Little Brother With Down’s Syndrome

We all know a set of siblings who are at each other’s throat at any opportunity possible – but maybe things would be different if they had a quick look at this video.

tattoo studio in Charlotte NC

Because this young man with Down’s syndrome reacted in the most amazing way when he saw his older brother’s tattoo for the first time. We think he definitely approves of it, that’s for sure.

The tattoo was of the LAD’s face inside the mouth of a lion and he couldn’t believe it as he ran his hand across his brother’s arm before giving him a kiss and an affectionate hug.

Someone chopping onions in here? Or just me?

tattoo studio in Charlotte NC
Credit: Facebook/Soares Sheila

 

Click here to read full story.

Tattoo Shops in Charlotte

BritainΓÇÖs First Tattoo Artist in Victorian Times

Amazing Photos Reveal the Work of BritainΓÇÖs First Tattoo Artist in Victorian Times

In Victorian England, Sutherland Macdonald stands out as the country’s first professional tattoo artist. After James CookΓÇÿs trip to the South Pacific, where the crew was exposed to Polynesian inking culture, tattoos began to trickle into society, growing in popularity through the years. For his part, Macdonald was said to have been exposed to tattooing in the 1880s while with the British Army.

Already an artist, Macdonald picked up the craft and by 1889 was operating a tattoo parlor out of the Hamam Turkish Baths at 76 Jermyn Street in London. In Victorian England, working as a tattoo artist was unheard of. In fact, in 1894 the Post Office Directory—the Yellow Pages at the time—had to add a new professional category for his listing. Thus, the word tattooist, a combination of tattoo and artist, was coined. Macdonald remained the only professional under the category for four years. “While tattooing was going on, there is no evidence of another professional studio in Britain at the time, working on paying customers,” explains Matt Lodder, a lecturer at the University of Essex.

Macdonald, who started off using hand tools and then graduated to an electric machine that he patented in 1894, had his share of celebrity and aristocratic clients. He’s said to have tattooed several of Queen Victoria’s sons, as well as the kings of Norway and Denmark. Tattoos were becoming increasingly popular with the European elite after Britain’s King Edward VII and his son were tattooed in Jerusalem and Japan, respectively.

“For nearly forty years crowned heads and famous people climbed the narrow staircase in Jermyn Street to visit Macdonald and to leave bearing some of the most wonderful ornaments ever placed on human skin,” wrote George Burchett in his 1953 book, Memoirs of a Tattooist. “A well-spoken, intelligent and gentle man, Sutherland Macdonald made friends of his customers, who treated him as an equal.”

And if that were not enough, Macdonald is also thought to have pioneered the use of blue and green in his work. All told, Macdonald is a historic tattooist who helped pioneer the art form, helping elevate it to a respected profession.

These images are part of the exhibition Tattoo: British Tattoo Art Revealed, on view at the National Maritime Musem of Cornwall through January 7, 2018.

Sutherland Macdonald, who opened his own tattoo studio in 1894, was the first professional tattooist in Britain.

Charlotte Tattoo Artist

19 Best Tattoo Artists in Charlotte

Why They’re The 19 Best Tattoo Artists in Charlotte?

Our goal is to connect people with the best local experts. We scored tattoo artists on more than 25 variables across five categories, and analysed the results to give you a hand-picked list of the best tattoo artists in Charlotte, NC.

Our Selection Criteria:

  • Reputation
  • Credibility
  • Experience
  • Availability
  • Professionalism

Visit Site: expertise.com/nc/charlotte/tattoos

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