PEORIA – A space once home to an iconic local printing business recently welcomed a new artistic medium.
Brass Eagle Tattoo opened its doors at 718 SW Adams St. in early April. The location was previously home to Rolan A. Johnson Co. – whose founder and namesake was known for creating elaborate Christmas prints beloved by the community.
“It’s just kind of cool to be, you know, in a building where there’s more art that was being made here to begin with and to continue it,” said Zach Dole, owner of Brass Eagle Tattoo.
‘Make our mark here in Peoria’
He and three colleagues – Ezra Coates, Sam Lott and Terry Lessard – are operating out of the space. All formerly worked for Freedom Ink Tattoos.
Dole said he has “nothing but respect” for mentor and former Freedom Ink owner Tim Beck, who passed away in early 2024. In the latter half of last year, he and his colleagues decided it was time to “make our mark here in Peoria” and embark on their own business venture.
“We all felt that it was time for us to do our thing and spread our roots, you know, in this community,” Dole said.
They began searching for a storefront in Downtown Peoria and eventually came across the space on Southwest Adams Street. Dole said the location, situated by Dozer Park and the growing Warehouse District, seemed to be the “right fit for us.”
Developer Bill Sullivan purchased the building last year. He said it needed new electrical, plumbing, HVAC and other updates.
Along with this, Dole said he and his colleagues worked to improve the floors, paint and decorate the space.
“There’s been a lot of work,” he said, “but it’s been worth every bit of it.”
Though certainly worthwhile, Dole described the weeks ahead of opening as hectic. While working to bring the space to life, he and colleagues continued tattooing with the support of In Bloom Tattoo Collective and Dark Horse Art Studio – who welcomed the artists into their spaces after they parted ways with Freedom Ink.
“That’s how it should be,” Dole said of the tattooing community. “Everybody should support each other.”
Brass Eagle continues artistic legacy of building
Formerly home to Rolan A. Johnson Co., the printing company produced banners and signs for area businesses. Urban Artifacts shared signs created for since-shuttered stores such as Bergner’s and Block & Kuhl on its Facebook page in late 2024.
Ultimately, though, Sullivan said the brand was “most known for is the greeting cards that would get sent out every Christmas.” A Journal Star article from 2017 said Rolan Johnson spent around 500 hours on each design.
The maker’s Christmas list would eventually grow to 2,500 people across the United States and 13 other countries.
“I don’t expect everyone on my list to send me a card,” Johnson told the Journal Star in 1995. “That’s not why I do it. I do it because I enjoy it. It’s my labor of love.”
Johnson’s creations became something of a “collector” item, Sullivan said, and the basis for several ornaments. His work has been featured at the iconic Soderstrom Castle during the holidays and was the basis for an advent exhibit at First United Methodist Church in 2017.
The tradition of annual Christmas cards ended after Johnson’s death in 2000, but son Fred Johnson continued to operate the storefront until shortly before Sullivan purchased the property. The local developer would go on to connect with Dole – ultimately bringing a new artistic medium to the space.
Sullivan said it was “very cool that it ended up in a cool artistic use.
“And I think Fred (Johnson) was happy to hear that when I kind of filled him in on kind of the plans for the building.”
Dole knew of the building’s history and said he and colleagues worked to preserve some of the character.
“There’s like random ink colors (on the floor) that just gives it more character, you know – makes it fun,” he said.
A tattoo artist for nearly 19 years, Dole was drawn to the art of his craft and the statement pieces can make. He said tattoos can describe “a lot about a person.”
While artists bring guidance and expertise to the process, he said tattooing is ultimately about bringing a person’s vision to life.
“It’s something that can just be super meaningful, and seeing their reaction or whatever, that’s the payoff,” he said.
Connecting with Brass Eagle Tattoo
Brass Eagle Tattoo is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
The shop offers various ways to schedule an appointment. Customers can stop in, call (309) 271-5102 or reach out online.
Walk ins are welcome, too, as Dole said Brass Eagle Tattoo will work to accommodate those who “want to come in and get tattooed spur of the moment.”
Ultimately, Dole said “everybody’s so different when it comes to how they like to be tattooed.”
Prospective customers can view a sample of the artists’ work at https://brasseagletattoopeoria.com/artists/.
“It’s come a long way,” Dole said of the shop. “So yeah, cool to see it all pay off and just kind of see the vision come together.”
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: ‘Make our mark’: New tattoo studio continues artistic legacy of Peoria space
Reporting by Cassidy Waigand, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
