Artists team up for 'Bleed Black and Gold Tattoo Expo'

A local reality-television star — Sarah Miller, who competed on two seasons of Spike TV's “Ink Master” — has teamed up with a Washington, D.C.-area artist to put on “Bleed Black and Gold Tattoo Expo,” coming Feb. 17 to 19 to the Sheraton Pittsburgh hotel at Station Square.

Miller, owner of Wyld Chyld Tattoo in Brookline, and Pittsburgh native Greg Piper, owner of Exposed Temptations Tattoo in Manassas, Va., put together the event for tattoo enthusiasts. You can learn about all things tattoo, watch live competitions by top artists, and even get a spontaneous, walk-in tattoo from some artists on site who don't require appointments.

Rrom 6 to 11 p.m. Feb. 17, winners from past seasons of “Ink Master” — including Ryan Ashley and Anthony Michaels — will spend three hours competing on a Live Tattoo Off, using volunteer human canvases. Sandusky, Ohio artist Robin H.M. will be trying to break some Guinness records, by tattooing for 70 hours straight without sleeping. True story, and you can observe her in action Feb. 18 and 19.

Other tattoo conventions come to the Pittsburgh area, but they are smaller than this one being planned, and they don't have Pittsburgh roots, Miller says. She has been traveling around the world, meeting and tattooing fans, since she was on the television show.

“What we wanted to do was ... take the tattoo-convention model and push it to a new level,” Miller says.

Last year, she won first place in the portrait category at the international Calgary Tattoo Expo.

Ticket sales begin at 11 a.m. each day, with the floor opening to the public at 1 p.m. Feb. 17 and noon Feb. 18 and 19. Closing Tattoo of the Day shows begin at 10:30 p.m. Feb. 17, 10 p.m. Feb. 18, and 6 p.m. Feb. 19.

Admission is $25 for one day, and $55 for three-day pass. Tickets are available at the door. VIP packages are available for $125 and $300 at the website. Details: Pittsburghtattooexpo.com

Kellie B. Gormly is a Tribune-Review contributing writer.