Life & Work with Middle Tennessee Tattoo Expo of Nashville, TN

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ian & Lindsay White.

Hi Ian & Lindsay, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
The Middle Tennessee Tattoo Expo started as an idea back in 2018. Nashville has a strong tattoo community, and we felt it was time for the city to have a convention that truly represented local talent and showcased work from artists across the United States and beyond. For Nashville to have a successful and sustainable event, we believed it needed to be deeply rooted in the local tattoo scene and led by people who are part of it.

We originally planned a smaller version of the event for October 2019, but around that time, we had the opportunity to expand Safe House Tattoo Studio by relocating to the Inglewood neighborhood of East Nashville. That move required our full attention, so we put the convention plans on hold.

In 2021, we hosted a Body Suit Art Show at the studio, and the turnout was fantastic, further confirming our belief that an event organized by the studio could be a success. Then, in 2022, friends who run a well-regarded tattoo expo in Iowa approached us about collaborating on a show in Nashville. Their event had a strong reputation, and we jumped at the opportunity. The first official Middle Tennessee Tattoo Expo took place in 2024 and was incredibly well received.

After the 2024 event, our Iowa partners decided to scale back, so we purchased their share and took over full ownership. Today, the Middle Tennessee Tattoo Expo is fully run out of Nashville by the husband-and-wife team behind Safe House Tattoo Studio, Ian and Lindsay White. Much like the studio, we’re focused on building a long-term event that celebrates tattooing as an art form and creates a safe space for the people who bring this community to life. The Middle Tennessee Tattoo Expo is about connection, inspiration, and belonging. Whether someone has been tattooing for decades or is just beginning to explore new ideas, this event is meant to support that journey. We hope to offer a space where artists feel part of something that honors the full range of creativity in the tattoo world.

The next Middle Tennessee Tattoo Expo takes place November 7–9, 2025, at the Nashville Fairgrounds. It will feature over 275 tattoo artists from across the country, throughout Tennessee, and working in tattoo studios across Nashville. The weekend includes live tattooing, tattoo competitions, food and drink vendors, retail booths, and a welcoming space for tattoo enthusiasts to connect. It’s a laid-back, fun atmosphere. Just a good hang among old friends and a chance to make new ones!

Tickets will be available for sale this summer at www.middletennesseetattooexpo.com.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Like any first-year event, the Middle Tennessee Tattoo Expo came with its fair share of learning curves. Behind the scenes, there were definitely some personal and logistical challenges. Building something like this (especially with a small team wearing a lot of hats) can test your knowledge, capacity, and patience.

One of the biggest unknowns that our anxiety latched onto was whether people would actually show up. We had never done an event on this scale before, and the marketing component was a challenge in itself. It was a lot of late nights, last-minute decisions, and constant wondering if all the effort would pay off. Fortunately, it did, but that fear was very real in the weeks leading up to the show.

The week of the expo brought its own hurdles. There were mix-ups with print orders and billboard placements, and just days before the event, a lightning strike took out most of our PA system. We also overestimated how much merch we’d sell and were left with a big surplus. And to top it off, the A/C struggled to keep up with an unusually warm mid-October crowd.

But after it was all said and done, the wins felt even more meaningful then the challenges. We’re proud of what came together and are taking everything we learned into year two.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
We both come to this work from different angles, and that’s part of what makes our collaboration so effective.

Ian has been a professional tattoo artist for over 20 years, and has also worked as a painter, muralist, teacher, and entrepreneur. He’s most known for his tattooing, but he’s a lifelong artist who creates in many mediums. He’s passionate about community and has always made space for other artists – whether through hosting meetups, organizing art nights, or building a shop culture that values collaboration over competition.

Lindsay brings a different set of skills. She’s been the executive director of a nonprofit organization for over eight years and manages the operational and financial side of both Safe House Tattoo Studio and the Middle Tennessee Tattoo Expo. Her experience with back-end systems, budgeting, strategic planning, and problem solving has been key to turning creative ideas into sustainable realities.

Together, we balance creativity and structure. We share a love for the tattoo community and are proud to have built both a shop and an event where people feel connected, supported, and inspired. What sets us apart isn’t just the work itself, it’s the way we work together. Ian is the idea person, willing to take risks and try things out, never afraid to put himself out there. Lindsay is the overthinker who knows how to stabilize, scale, and sustain growth, helping bring Ian’s visions to life in a way that lasts.

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
We haven’t had one singular mentor, but we’ve definitely learned through community and connection. Over the years, we’ve been fortunate to build relationships with people who have generously shared their experiences and insights. Early on, we collaborated with the team behind Middle of the Map Tattoo Expo in Des Moines, Iowa, to plan the original 2024 Middle Tennessee Tattoo Expo. More recently, we’ve been leaning into our connection with the organizer of Literary Ink in Chattanooga, Jennifer Edge, who has generously met with us multiple times, answered our texts, and committed to showing up at our event to help in any way they can.

We’re both people who ask for help and work best when we can learn from those who’ve come before us and are open to sharing what worked and what didn’t. What’s helped us most is staying endlessly curious, being willing to adapt, and always remembering that we don’t know everything. There’s always someone to learn from, a book to read, a perspective to consider.

Even before the inception of the Middle Tennessee Tattoo Expo (really, since the early days of Safe House Tattoo Studio), we’ve leaned on fellow travelers, trusted friends, and counselors to help us navigate the complexities of running a business as a married couple. We’ve learned that success isn’t just about what we can do, but how we’re doing as people. It’s not just our skills that carry us forward, but the health of our minds, the strength of our relationships, and our ability to stay connected to what truly matters.

This past year, we’ve spent time with books like The Obstacle Is the Way and Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday, The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins, and The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fck* by Mark Manson. Ian has recently revisited The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron – not just reading and working through the program, but also joining a group of like-minded creatives to walk through it together. These resources have helped keep our work in perspective and reminded us to stay grounded in our purpose, even when unexpected challenges or conflict occur.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.middletennesseetattoo.com/s
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middletntattooexpo
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Middle-Tennessee-Tattoo-Expo/61553996676881/
• Other: https://www.safehousetattoo.com/