Montreal’s DFA Tattoos Seeking Help to Weather the COVID-19 Storm

Sean Arsenian, the guitarist and vocalist for the noise rock group The Great Sabatini is also a full-time tattoo artist and co-owner of DFA Tattoos, a shop located in downtown Montreal QC, Canada.

Now, faced with the COVID-19 pandemic and the Canadian government’s lack of support funds, might shuddering its doors after five years of operation. Melissa Valiquette, one of three invested in DFA Tattoos, comments, “DFA doesn’t qualify for the emergency funds made available to some small businesses. This keeps us all up at night. This is our livelihood.”

Valiquette elaborates, “All our artists essentially work for themselves so personal funding for our artists do not cover the operating costs for the business as a whole even if our doors are closed.”

“Everyone’s been blindsided by the scope of the ramifications of COVID-19,” says co-owner Angus Byers. “Preparing for a total shutdown due to a pandemic was not really on the docket. Providing a safe, clean and comfortable space for our clients has always been our top priority. So it was a no-brainer to close down when those priorities would be called into question.”

Arsenian and co. are leveraging his work with the band, and the rock/metal communities for help. “We wish we didn’t have to ask for help, but we have no other lifeline at this point and desperately want to avoid an untimely end. The bills are still due, despite the fact that we all need to stay home. If we can’t reach our $15,000 goal, then this beautiful thing we made together may simply go away and that would be devastating to us.”

To make a donation, please visit: www.gofundme.com/help-save-dfa-tattoos.