Art has been on the decline recently and taken for granted despite its importance for meaningful expression within culture.

Studio 2o5 and owner Brian Spitz want Ponca City to thrive and to help support local artists.

Spitz had initially begun his art career wanting to become a cartoonist at Disney, but upon getting his first tattoo he saw a chance at a different career path.

“I got my first tattoo when I was 24 in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. And after I paid the bill and looked at the artwork I decided to change careers,” said Spitz. “I wanted to be a cartoonist, but I was 30 years behind on cartoons since everything moved to stuff like Pixar.”

Spitz started his apprenticeship in Fort Walton Beach, Florida at Bamboo Needles. He worked there for several years before transferring to a coverup only shop in Chicago called Sacred Transformations. The owner of the shop was also both a doctor and a psychologist, and a service they would provide was covering up gang tattoos for rehabilitated prisoners so they could reenter society. Spitz then saw an ad in the paper for a job at Flippin Ink in Ponca City.

“I grew up in Ponca City and thought I had a chance to get the job and tried for about a year. I got the job, worked there for eight years,” said Spitz. “[I] learned everything else I knew about tattooing there.”

When Flippin Ink closed, Spitz opened Studio 2o5, named for both the physical address and for the variety of services they provide. Besides tattooing, Studio 2o5 offers paint classes, art classes, and through Tinker Technologies they provide 3D printing, keychains, jewelry, ash trays, coasters for restaurants, cosplay items, masks and model kits, as well as t-shirts made by Mike Price of Price Custom Carvings.

All paintings in the gallery at Studio 2o5 are from local artists and Studio 2o5 does not take any commission off the artwork, so the artists get 100% of what they sell.

“We do as much as we possibly can. Art is dying, schools and college aren’t promoting art as a lifestyle,” said Spitz. “It’s not easy, but for some people it’s their passion and I believe people should be able to do what they love and not work a nine to five that makes them miserable.”

Studio 2o5 is also very active in the community and holds numerous promotions around holidays, paint classes for children and adults, and a Jason Voorhees themed event on every Friday the 13th.

Additionally they’ve worked with many fundraisers such as the Humane Society, and for Veterans Day offered free tattoos to veterans, as well as a taco bar and buffet.

To contact Studio 2o5, they can be found on Facebook and at studio205.ink