Velvet Grip Family Owner, Todd Sorensen, Relaunches Los Angeles Studio with Exclusive Art Opening and Fashion Event —
On Thursday, October 22, Velvet Grip Family tattoo studio (www.velvetgripfamily.com) and owner, Todd Sorensen, will play host to Los Angeles’ tattoo industry elite, art lovers and fashionistas, at an exclusive art opening reception for what will be a month-long group showing of multiple Los Angeles artists. The event, which sits right in the midst of Los Angeles Fashion “Month”, will also feature an innovative fashion installation by Junker Designs. A portion of the proceeds of sales of the artwork will benefit local charity, Art Share LA.
The month-long art exhibit, to be housed in the Velvet Grip Family tattoo studio space through November 18, will feature pieces by eight local artists: Velvet Grip Family owner, Todd Sorensen; AXIS; Joby Cummings; Konstantin; Kilby Rodell; Mike Nite; Mike Bowman; and a skateboard installation by Sector 9 pro-skater, Dave Hatton.
The Junker Designs fashion installation will be on view during the October 22 opening reception, and will feature “live mannequins” spaced throughout the studio. This installation will be Junker Designs’ only Los Angeles Fashion “Month” event.
“I’m all for promoting local talent – be it fashion design, art or music – and I’m thrilled to be able to support the future Los Angeles artist community,” says Todd Sorensen, Velvet Grip Family owner and tattoo industry veteran, of the partnership with Art Share LA.
Guests at the October 22 exhibit opening event will also enjoy live performances by local, cult-favorite DJs McEscher and jMotion, as well as a fully-hosted bar, and appetizers courtesy of Jones Hollywood. Media coverage of the event will be provided by Tattoo:Savage Magazine, who will be on-hand to shoot the art on the walls, as well as the art on event guests. The October 22 event is sponsored in part by Industrial Strength and Brandon Bond.
Velvet Grip Family tattoo studio is located at 7213½ Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA, 90046. Appointments can be made by calling (323) 876-5048. More information on each of the exhibit’s artists, can be found at: www.velvetgripfamily.com. To RSVP for the October 22 art opening and Junker Designs fashion installation, please email: [email protected].
About Velvet Grip Family
Known for his excellent customer care and the bond that he forms with his clients – which keeps them coming back, time and time again – Velvet Grip Family owner, Todd Sorensen, has been able to establish quite the famous following. With the newest remodel of his 1,700 s.f. West Hollywood studio, he has created an amazing space with a vibe unlike most tattoo shops. The paint scheme, exposed brick, leather and wood furnishings, ambient lighting, tranquil Koi fish pond and artsy architecture were thought out to the very last detail, all by none other than Sorensen, himself.
Velvet Grip Family counts amongst its fans and clients the likes of Kiefer Sutherland, Hugh Laurie (“House”), Drew Barrymore, Mark McGrath, Tommy Lee, “Young Hollywood” celeb offspring such as Al Pacino’s daughter, and many more famous faces (and bodies).Sorensen’s fans and following are so devoted to Velvet Grip Family that in a recent, more intimate five-year anniversary celebration, more than 30 of his clients opted to have the Velvet Grip Family logo permanently tattooed onto their bodies.
Sorensen, known in the tattoo industry as “The Todd”, is an industry veteran and an unmistakable talent, in and of himself. Sorensen, as well as his and his talented staff’s work, has been featured on numerous TV shows and has been covered by the media many times, including appearances on/in: “Fear Factor”, “Freaks & Geeks”, “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!”, MTV, G4tv, the Discovery Channel, TNN, the “Oblivious” show, “Guinness Book of World Records”, Tattoo Magazine, Savage Magazine, Tattoo Revue, International Tattoo Art, Skin Art Magazine, Varla Magazine and Bizarre Magazine.
Velvet Grip Family Owner, Todd Sorensen, is available for interviews and/or comment, as well as public appearances, as an expert in the art of tattooing and body modification. For more information on Sorensen and his studio, visit: www.velvetgripfamily.com.
About Junker Designs
Los Angeles-based Junker Designs makes one-of-a-kind, hand-made clothing from denim, leather, and pretty much anything else that the label’s designers – who hail from Texas and Florida – can acquire. They overdye, paint, mutate, bury, or otherwise ravage each and every edgy, rocker-chic piece.
Junker Designs’ fans and clients include the likes of Alice Cooper, Nikki Sixx, Dave Navarro, Tommy Lee, Billy Morrison, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Richie Sambora, Prince, Lenny Kravitz, Bon Jovi, Buckcherry, Motley Crue, Pink, Paris Hilton, Christina Aguilera, John Cusack, Puddle of Mudd, Shakira, Poison, Johnny Depp, Carmen Electra, Britney Spears, Steven Tyler, Weezer and Insane Clown Posse, to name just a few. For more information on Junker Designs, please visit: www.junkerdesigns.com.
About Art Share LA
Boasting a 90% high school graduation rate, Art Share Los Angeles offers a free, multi-disciplinary art program, changing the lives of underserved teens. Through the collaborative work of instructors, social workers, and volunteers, the center operates during peak violence hours. It not only provides a safe haven for creative expression, but also offers a starting point for emerging artists, space for gallery shows, and low-income housing for artists. With 30,000 square feet of renovated warehouse space in the Downtown Artist District, Art Share Los Angeles serves as a community arts incubator, promoting cultural excellence and shaping lives through, art, education and community action. For more information on Art Share LA, please visit: www.artsharela.org.
