Ink 180 Receives Unanimous Approval from Oswego Village Board

Ink 180, at 27 Stonehill Drive, Oswego, will offer tattoo services for patrons as well as free cover-up tattoos for former gang members and sex-trafficking victims.

Kendall County will be seeing its first tattoo shop in the near future after the Village of Oswego board unanimously voted to approve a special permit for tattoo facility Ink 180. Ink 180, owned by tattoo artist and Oswego resident Chris Baker, will function as both a tattoo shop for patrons as well as a part of the Ink 180 Ministry that provides free cover-up tattoos for sex trafficking victims and former gang members. After the vote, Baker said he’d been hopeful it would pass, but had been expecting a few votes against because of the stigma surrounding tattoo shops. “We’re hoping to turn that conception around,” said Baker. “It’s a great service and God bless him for doing it,” said trustee Jeff Lawson right before the vote in which many…

•  21 Comments
• Photos (3)
• Videos (1)

Oswego Resident Changing Lives One Tattoo at a Time

Chris Baker, founder of INK 180, provides free cover-up tattoos to sex trafficking victims and old gang members.

Oswego Resident Changing Lives One Tattoo at a Time

Chris Baker, founder of INK 180, provides free cover-up tattoos to sex trafficking victims and old gang members.

There’s normally a story behind a tattoo. If that’s the case, then Oswego resident and tattoo artist Chris Baker has seen a whole lot of stories and helped to write hundreds of new chapters. Baker is the founder of INK 180, a non-profit organization in which he creates cover-up tattoos free of charge for victims of sex trafficking and old gang members looking to turn their lives around. Tattooing was always something of a passion for Baker, but never a job. He has been collecting tattoos since he was 18 and had always wanted to make tattoos himself. But when he was younger he dropped out of high school to help support his mom and sister and threw his artistic talent under the rug. It wasn’t until he was about 25 years old and hanging out …

•  9 Comments
• Photos (5)

Cover-up Tattoo Organization INK 180 Hosting Bracelet Fundraiser

Ink 180 helps old gang members or victims of domestic sex trafficking cover up their tattoos.

Ink 180, known as a Ministry of Ink, exists to help others. The 100 percent charitable organization run by Chris Baker helps victims of domestic sex trafficking and old gang members looking for a new start at life to cover up old tattoos or markings. “I love helping the people I work with as they move away from horrific life circumstances into productive lives,” said Baker. Baker, who does all of the inking and designs himself, will cover tattoos completely for free so that people can move forward, or do a 180, with their lives. But the process costs money and Baker is looking to raise funds through a bracelet fundraiser. The bracelets, pictured in the photo attached, are $5 a piece and all proceeds go towards supplies for the cover-up …

• Photos (1)