COURTESY CREATING EXPOSURE THROUGH THE ARTS

Former professional basketball player Anthony Morrow of Charlotte and his tattoos in the documentary “Behind the Ink.”

“Behind the Ink” started as a teachable moment.

It began over a decade ago during a photojournalism workshop for students at the YMCA. Student Joseph Johnson’s rose tattoo was being mocked by another student. The initially uncomfortable moment led to a conversation, which revealed why Johnson had a rose tattoo on his arm with a name by it.

Johnson’s mother, Rhodeann “Ann” Johnson, died from heart disease when he was 2 years old. Suddenly the mood in the room changed from one of mockery to understanding. It inspired class organizer Mark Pendergrass to expand on the theme of debunking assumptions often associated with tattoos. Like the classes, the project expanded. It turned into “Inked,” which became a staple of Pendergrass’ curriculum for his nonprofit Creating Exposure through the Arts.

“We intentionally made it part of the curriculum, because it always gave us a platform for students to do photo workshops, have people come in with tattoos and creatively grab that image and share that story but then, and then said, ‘we need to make it more than just a photo,’” Pendergrass said.

The answer was to create a documentary: “Behind the Ink.” The 32-minute documentary will premiere at Victoria Yards (408 N. Tryon St.) on Sept. 25 at 8 p.m., followed by a Q&A with the film crew and film participants. Gates open at 7 p.m. for the free event.

“Behind the Ink” features stories of people across the Carolinas. Former NBA player and Charlotte native Anthony Morrow guides viewers through the film. The documentary highlights Fedelina Heredia, a woman from the Dominican Republic on her journey to her first tattoo. She shares the negative connotation tattoos have in her native country, but now can get one in the United States. Morrow takes her to tattoo artist Crystana “Dutchess” Lattimore, who owns Pretty-N-Ink, attended North Carolina A&T State University and was a cast member on VH1’s “Black Ink Crew.” Lattimore is another familiar face in the “Inked” series.

Heredia is a counselor at a group home, where Pendergrass stopped by to donate items one day. Upon meeting, he shared information about Creating Exposure and their work on the documentary. Heredia said she always wanted a tattoo and the Creating Exposure teams said she would make a great addition to the documentary.

“It intermingles so many stories, but it follows somebody’s journey,” Pendergrass said.

Creating Exposure will also have a mural on two walls, one faces Tryon Street and the other faces 6th Street in Uptown. It will feature a series of banners, integrating 40 pictures, including behind the scenes student images from the project. The duration of the mural is to be determined, as the documentary screening and mural were originally scheduled as part of Charlotte SHOUT!, which was postponed due to COVID-19.  

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