Caroline Phillpot, a 25-year-old tattoo artist, poses in the shop she works in, Sacred Skin Studios, where she is offering tattoos of a rainbow heart with the words “Love Conquers Hate,” for $50. She started the initiative after the shooting in an Orlando nightclub and will donate 50 percent of the proceeds to the Support Victims of Pulse Shooting GoFundMe page by Equality Florida.
A 25-year-old tattoo artist in Gainesville is using her craft to raise money for victims of the Orlando shooting.
Caroline Phillpot of Sacred Skin Studios, located at 4445 SW 35th Terrace, is offering a rainbow heart design, adorned with a phrase that reads “LOVE CONQUERS HATE” for $50.
Half the proceeds will be donated to a GoFundMe created by Equality Florida, an organization that focuses on equality for Florida’s LGBTQ+ community, Phillpot said. She hopes to raise $1,000.
“The more I thought about it, I started thinking about that Mr. Rogers quote about looking for the helpers and I started thinking, ‘How could I help?’” she said.
Phillpot said she became serious about tattoo art when she studied abroad in Austria during high school.
Though she did not speak German, Phillpot said she often communicated through art.
As a bisexual mother and a peace advocate, Phillpot said she hopes the tattoos serve as a reminder that love and compassion are always the answer.
Erica Carter, a 24-year-old photography student at Santa Fe College, said she hopes to add the heart to her collection of about 20 tattoos.
“I get my tattoos for myself, but this is a tattoo that I’m getting for hundreds of people, including myself,” she said. “It’s a tattoo that I would be proud to show off.”
