PHOTO by EMMA GOSALVEZ/THE EXPRESS High Street Tattoo is located at 203 W. High St., right below Classy Kuts Hair Design.

BELLEFONTE – The first tattoo shop to ever grace the streets of Bellefonte is now open for business.

Officially opened on June 1, High Street Tattoo is not only looking to fill a need in downtown Bellefonte but to showcase tattoos as an art form of their own right.

Owner Gabrielle Yunis, 25, of Pleasant Gap, said her interest the tattoo industry grew each time she received a new tattoo, in addition to her experience working at the Evolution Tattoo Studio in State College. She was an apprentice at Evolution for a year and a half after working as a receptionist for the studio.

“I’m more interested in the artistic side of tattooing, and I see it as an art definitely,” said Yunis, who is an art history graduate of Penn State.

Yunis first became interested in art when she was little and it has since grown as a passion.

“As a kid, I always knew that I would do something with art,” she said.

The interior of her shop currently features wall art, including prints and paintings, a lot of which were created by tattoo artists. Yunis said her goal is to feature work from different kinds of local artists, along with different forms of art, such as pottery. She considers herself to be a multi-faceted artist, whose work ranges from photography to tattoos.

Yunis does not want her shop to be the typical tattoo studio, and wants tattoo to be recognized as a form of art.

“I don’t think a lot of people do that, but it’s like any other medium with different genres and artists,” she said.

The opening of the new tattoo shop would not be possible had the borough not recently changed a zoning law that had prohibited “adult use” businesses, including tattoo studios.

On why she chose Bellefonte, she said it was because of the revival of the downtown with all the new businesses that have moved in over the past couple of years. With more shops and things to do, she thinks a lot of people will be moving to the area from the ever-expanding State College. The proximity to surrounding areas such as Lock Haven and Milesburg was another factor.

With Evolution closing in late April and her clientele in the area, the opportunity came at the perfect time for Yunis.

“I hope that it thrives here and contributes to this progression that Bellefonte’s headed towards,” Yunis said.

One feature that makes the tattoo studio unique is its intimacy. The small studio has only one employee, Yunis, which means there is not really an audience for individuals who are getting a tattoo. This will help people feel more relaxed, Yunis said.

Another way the shop is special is the fact that the art hung on the walls is a reflection of who Yunis is and the type of art she does. Yunis said that her personal tattoo style is considered neo traditional, a type of art that is illustrative but not simple or cartoonish, and she likes to do a wide range of art.

In the future, Yunis wants to use her business for good and host fundraisers and participate in the Bellefonte First Sunday events. The first event she is planning is a fundraiser with nonprofit animal shelter Centre County PAWS, and she anticipates it will take place on the first Sunday in September.

At the studio, tattoo services cost $150 per hour, but Yunis said she will usually price tattoo art by piece instead of by hour unless it is a large-scale request such as a sleeve. The minimum is $60, and deposits are accepted in the amount of $60, which comes off the total price of the tattoo.

Yunis said she prefers appointments, but walk-ins are welcome. Consultations are also offered for customers to discuss a tattoo idea before making a commitment.

“It is a custom tattoo shop, so people come with their ideas and I draw something that’s specifically for them,” Yunis explained. “I would never tattoo the same thing twice or tattoo something that’s already tattooed on somebody else.”

It is certainly a process, she said.

“If someone comes in and has an idea, shows me reference images, I will draw it out for them, and then if they want to make changes or anything, we can make changes.”

High Street Tattoo is open 2 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays and 12 to 8 Fridays and Saturdays. Yunis can be contacted at gabyunistattoo@gmail.com or 814-810-7800. Her work can be found on Instagram at @gabyunis or on her website, www.gabyunistattoo.com.