fig® - Downtown Lancaster

Ina Vigilato. tattoo artist.  owner, Freedom Gallery.

Ina Vigliato was never particularly impressed with tattoos while she was growing up.  Today she owns one of the most sophisticated tattoo salons in the area.  When you see Ina, with her striking looks and layers of intrigue, you think she’s the kind of person you would like to know.  And you’d be right.  Ina is the type who will give you a hug and never be the first to let go.

Despite her lack of interest, by age 21 life landed her in a quintessential hard-core, bad-to-the-bone tattoo shop complete with a boss sporting a mullet and a gold tooth in Rockland, Illinois.  Can you picture this blonde beauty sweeping the grimy floor and learning from the masters?  She did her time.  Six months later, she’d paid her dues and started making art.

“I learned a lot about the art of tattoo and the art of customer service.”  Ina explains of her time in the trenches.  “Even more important, I learned how I did not want people to feel when they wanted a tattoo.  I never want people to feel intimidated or not cool enough.”

Today, at Freedom Gallery, a welcoming professionalism is paramount.  Every client who enters the serene, spotless space is made to feel at ease.  Ina believes that everyone deserves the opportunity to express himself through beautiful artwork.  She’s cultivated a studio culture that is respectful, friendly and charmingly positive.

Ina is very clear that it is the other artists and the team that make Freedom Gallery work. “Being a team is very important to me,” she explains.  “Everyone working here is well-educated, smart and humble. All of our work is in good taste.  We don’t allow anything at Freedom that is degrading or dangerous.  It really helps to keep a peaceful and positive spirit.”

A native of Alaska, with a childhood spent as one of four kids in rural Wisconsin, Ina has traveled many miles in her 30 years.  Her journey has shaped her profession and crafted her open spirit.   “I was the girl to wear Go-Go boots and false eyelashes to the prom,” she laughs.  “But I could hang out with anyone.  I seemed to transcend all of those weird high school cliques.

She still exudes a genuine openness here in the City of Lancaster.   She extends the same warmth to all visitors to Freedom Gallery. Her personal clients include a suburban Lancaster County dentist and a youth pastor, as well as long-term clients who travel from Philadelphia or Mechanicsburg.  They’ve all taken the time to get to know Ina, and they all understand that it is worth the trip.

I’m happy when: Our artists are all working and our clients are being well taken care of.

Favorite Tattoo: I love the one on my chest.  It’s incredibly symbolic for me and is very heartfelt and loving.  The delicate filigree is to protect and guard my heart while the cross represents Christ and his spiritual healing in my life.  The crown is very small because I am proud of the work I’m doing, but it is small because I know that I don’t do it alone.  The wings symbolize freedom – my freedom and the freedom I can give to others.

FREEDOM GALLERY     18 E. MCGOVERN AVENUE        717.293.1700