The historic community of North Nashville’s Jefferson Street business corridor has seen its fair share of change throughout the city’s recent boom years, with businesses and building happening in nearly every pocket of the street and neighborhood at large. Few businesses have embodied the spirit and growth of Jefferson Street quite like One Drop Ink Tattoo Parlour and Gallery.
Formed in May 2011 by artist Elisheba Israel Mrozik, in the 1300 block of Jefferson Street, One Drop Ink grew into a multi member team of artists and employees, who then expanded into their recent location on Ed Temple Blvd adjacebt to the TSU main campus.
Now, One Drop Ink is proud to have returned to the heart of the community, at 1511 Jefferson Street. The new location is in the Essense building, formerly the Kim Gardener Building, and the long time home of Essense Day Spa. The move is part of a greater brushstroke by One Drop Ink to strengthen and solidify their position within the community as the ever changing landscape of the historic Jefferson corridor evolves.
Elisheba Israel Mrozik, owner of One Drop Ink, explains, “We have needed a long term home on Jefferson to continue to serve our community and give us the ability to grow, and in the Essense building, we have found that opportunity.”
One Drop Ink has steadily grown in influence as not just a place for tattoos and piercings, but a true hub of artistry, community and leadership in the North Nashville community. In its new location, the tattoo parlour will be less than a block from Fisk University, and Woodcut’s Gallery and Framing, fellow founding member of the Jefferson Street Art Crawl. The new location will also be across the street from the forthcoming Jefferson Street Park.
“This move has huge implications to our neighborhood”, says One Drop’s owner Elisheba, “by putting another black-owned business into a black owned building, it establishes a walkable center for the Jefferson Street Art Crawl between us and Woodcut’s, and advances the communal nature of this area which the park was going to bring as well.”
In saying this, Mrs. Mrozik touches on some of the trials business owners in North Nashville face, with widespread gentrification, rising rental costs, and a changing neighborhood customer base.
“I started One Drop Ink to serve my community, and from there it has grown into what it is today — a place for people to get high quality art in their own neighborhood, for their skin, their walls, and their life,” says Elisheba.
One Drop Ink Tattoo Parlour and Gallery is open for business in their new location at 1511 Jefferson St. as of February 1st, with an official grand opening party to follow later in the month. February being Black History Month, One Drop Ink’s annual special to commemorate the time will be in full swing with tattoos to be had for as low as $40.
One Drop Ink is open seven days a week, Monday through Thursday, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 1 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Sundays 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Visit their website at www.onedropink.com or find them on Instagram and Facebook. Reach them by phone at 615-649-1106.
