Up about 100 feet on the right side of Railroad Street we come across Nerdy Visions. Opened in 2020 in the heat of the pandemic Nerdy Visions is a very proud new member of the North Canaan community. Nerdy Visions is a new twist on a tattoo parlor. Owner Joe Murph lends his “Vision” to help people envision themselves with new tattoos. Tattooing is nothing new to Murph, he’s been in the business since 2011 at various shops around the state, although North Canaan is the first shop of his own. Hailing from Danbury, Conn., Murph spent a lot of time in the area as a kid and young adult at Lone Oak Campsites in East Canaan, so when the time came to open his own place, he knew he wanted it to be North Canaan. Not only because he loved the area, but also because it was an untapped market.

The nature of an untapped market is both tantalizing and horrifying, is it untapped because nobody’s tried, or is it because many have tried and all have failed? Well in this case it’s the former because North Canaan has never seen a tattoo parlor. It’s a daunting thought as it’s not a very “Canaan” business in the sense that it’s not a traditional business: it’s not an auto repair shop, a doctor’s office, or a quarry. With that in mind, I asked if fitting into the community has been an issue thus far. The answer was a resounding no. The only real backlash they faced was on social media, “I can remember all the derogatory remarks when I was first opening, and there were even people saying ‘they won’t last.’” This is something that caused Joe to get rid of his Facebook page, you can still find him on Instagram @nerdyvisionsgallery, because of all the negativity from people that have no clue who he is or what he’s about. He found that negativity isn’t something he was particularly interested in as positivity is the theme behind his business, “I want to portray myself as the hand that extends rather than the one that slaps away.”

Video game nights are a community element Nerdy Visions have offered. Tyler, one of the apprentices at the shop, is the one who has put most of the planning on his own shoulders. He’s hoping to hold video game nights on a more regular basis soon, with Friday night events for all ages. From 7 to 11 p.m., Nerdy Visions will open its doors to anyone that wants to come to play or watch video games, ranging from your classics such as an N64 up to Playstation or the Nintendo Switch. These events are child-friendly, sober events that way everyone can have a good time together. The main event is a tournament with one grand prize for the winner. Nerdy Visions has quickly become part of the community and it’s thanks to efforts such as these game nights, little things that show they not only want to stay in business but want to be accepted as a true part of the community.

Panther tattoo by Tyler Barker. Photo courtesy of Nerdy Vision

Tomie horror manga tattoo by Raf Luiz. Photo courtesy of Nerdy Vision

Heath Ledger’s Joker by Joe “Murph” Atherton.

Heath Ledger’s Joker by Joe “Murph” Atherton.