Young entrepreneur opens area tattoo shop

Surrounded by canvases covered in his colorful, graffiti-style designs, Allen Wright sketches in his first tattoo shop. Above him gazes a faux-gold Buddha statute sitting on a shelf supporting a rainbow of ink bottles, sterile solutions and latex gloves.

To his left, Wright’s partner, Connor Burgess, practices shading with a pencil, his shoulder-length orange hair dropping out his backward hat. The laid-back flows of rap artist Nas are the only sounds as the young artists hone their craft.

“There is not a lot of opportunity for an artist to make a living with a day job,” Burgess said. “We grew up in tattoo shops, and all our friends were tattoo artists. A group of us started drawing and said we would see where it would take us.”

Libby’s newest tattoo shop, Mudville Tattoos, is a two-room suite adjacent from a law firm and accounting office in a business building at 417 Mineral Ave. At 22 years old, Wright is proud of what he made from nothing. A native of Stockton, Calif., Wright moved to Libby to care for his grandmother, Lynn Jacqueth, who has since passed away.

“My grandma gave me my morals,” Wright said. “To this day I do things to make her proud.”

Business has picked up steadily since opening in January. Wright tattoos about 12 people a week and walk-in business is strong. After years of visiting his friend up north, Burgess, 22, moved to Libby shortly after the shop opened.

“Living in a place like Libby gets you more connected to yourself as an artist,” Wright said.

Maybe that new connection explains the blacked out canvas looming over Burgess’ desk.

“I wasn’t happy with it, and I was almost done,” Wright said.

Future plans — a praying gargoyle and a crestfallen angel— are taped to the canvas’ sides. Wright will start painting the peculiar dichotomy when he can. For now, he is busy following his grandfather’s entrepreneurial footsteps.  

“My grandpa had his first business when he was 22, too,” Wright said of his grandfather, Robert Jaqueth, who owned both a Chevrolet dealership and hardware store in Libby. “You know, he makes me realize anything is possible. If he could make it happen, why can’t I?”

The young duo hope to attract California artists to their shop for guest appearances. They are open to returning the favor, but do not plan to return to Stockton, which Forbes.com ranked as the fifth most dangerous city in America in 2013.

“There’s nothing there for us,” Wright said. “It’s depressing.”

The young men do not know how long they will live in Libby. Wright dreams of opening a bigger shop in a larger town.

“We’ll start here and see where we can go,” Wright said. “I want to take it as far as I can.”