One of our local arts organization, which actually hosts the best folk art festival in the world imho, started a new series for its adult patrons called Kentuck After Dark. I love Kentuck's annual Folk Art Festival, which is coming up in mid-October, as well as its monthly First Thursday events, and so many of the artists and employees there. It's one of the best things about Tuscaloosa. So I was delighted when they invited me to give a tattoo dark for the second installment of Kentuck After Dark on August 18. This was a small ticketed event with wine and cheese. It was easy to chat with everyone, and Molly made some delightful mojitos.
Here are a few photos by my wife Loretta Lynn, including a few of me give a talk about tattooing and immune function from me followed by tattooing with Q&A by local tattoo artist Lucas McDaniel. My kids got their first tattoos from Lucas, so he's had to put up with me ad nauseum, making this an easy event for us to work together.

This new article is based on data collected at the 2017 Northwest Tatau Festival and is the first publication of analysis from those data. Summarizing the article in one sentence:

"The psychological and physical experience of being tattooed may contribute to physiological adaptations that prepare the skin for other injury."
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Click on this link to the full PDF. Below is a slide show of photos from the tattoo festival for your enjoyment while reading.