A Vision in Ink

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.

Panther tattoo by Tyler Barker. Photo courtesy of Nerdy Vision

Latest News

State intervenes in sale of Torrington Transfer Station

The entrance to Torrington Transfer Station.

Photo by Jennifer Almquist

TORRINGTON — Municipalities holding out for a public solid waste solution in the Northwest Corner have new hope.

An amendment to House Bill No. 7287, known as the Implementor Bill, signed by Governor Ned Lamont, has put the $3.25 million sale of the Torrington Transfer Station to USA Waste & Recycling on hold.

Keep ReadingShow less
Juneteenth and Mumbet’s legacy
Sheffield resident, singer Wanda Houston will play Mumbet in "1781" on June 19 at 7 p.m. at The Center on Main, Falls Village.
Jeffery Serratt

In August of 1781, after spending thirty years as an enslaved woman in the household of Colonel John Ashley in Sheffield, Massachusetts, Elizabeth Freeman, also known as Mumbet, was the first enslaved person to sue for her freedom in court. At the time of her trial there were 5,000 enslaved people in the state. MumBet’s legal victory set a precedent for the abolition of slavery in Massachusetts in 1790, the first in the nation. She took the name Elizabeth Freeman.

Local playwrights Lonnie Carter and Linda Rossi will tell her story in a staged reading of “1781” to celebrate Juneteenth, ay 7 p.m. at The Center on Main in Falls Village, Connecticut.Singer Wanda Houston will play MumBet, joined by actors Chantell McCulloch, Tarik Shah, Kim Canning, Sherie Berk, Howard Platt, Gloria Parker and Ruby Cameron Miller. Musical composer Donald Sosin added, “MumBet is an American hero whose story deserves to be known much more widely.”

Keep ReadingShow less
A sweet collaboration with students in Torrington

The new mural painted by students at Saint John Paul The Great Academy in Torrington, Connecticut.

Photo by Kristy Barto, owner of The Nutmeg Fudge Company

Thanks to a unique collaboration between The Nutmeg Fudge Company, local artist Gerald Incandela, and Saint John Paul The Great Academy in Torrington, Connecticut a mural — designed and painted entirely by students — now graces the interior of the fudge company.

The Nutmeg Fudge Company owner Kristy Barto was looking to brighten her party space with a mural that celebrated both old and new Torrington. She worked with school board member Susan Cook and Incandela to reach out to the Academy’s art teacher, Rachael Martinelli.

Keep ReadingShow less