Kaleidoscope Tattoo & Art Gallery

This place is amazing for piercings. I’ve gotten my belly button, a Christina, and clitoral hood piercing done here. And my sister had her nipples pierced. All performed by the same man and he was very professional and helped us remain calm. He talked us through it and any questions we had no matter how ridiculous he answered! I wish I knew his name but he may be the only piercer in the place so you won’t miss him.
I thank him for making an extremely nerve racking experience into an AWESOME one. I will definitely be back again for any type of piercing in the gutter that I may want !

Had my second ear lobe piercings done here recently. The piercer was the utmost professional and did a fantastic job, a very charismatic person.
I believe the owner is the one who assisted me, what a nice man. I don’t have extensive experience with tattoo studios, but I felt very welcome and comfortable. The folks here are talented artists but not snobbish, a truly rare find.
Thank you for my beautiful new piercings! Highly recommend. :)

Shawn! Shawn! Shawn! I went to Kaleidoscope Tattoo & Art Gallery on Friday! My friend and I were in Boston (staying in Dorchester actually) for Spring Break. She and I were searching for something to do on Groupon. We came across Kaleidoscope Tattoo & Art Gallery… and I’m so glad we did ! Each of us ordered a Groupon for piercing! We got to Kaleidoscope at about 5:30 P.M. and the place had a great atmosphere. We walked in and we’re greeted by a nice guy. We let them know we were there to get piercings, my friend wanted a septum piercing and I was trying to decide between a belly button piercing and industrial piercing. We waited for about 45 minutes and soon enough Shawn beckoned us to the back. He helped me decide which to get. My friend went first and it went smoothly, she got a retainer put in! I was next up and nervous as ALL hell haha. Shawn was soothing from the beginning, making jokes and talking me up to put me at ease. The piercing hurt, like any piercing does, but Shawn talked me through it. He also talked me through after care (same thing with my friend). Both piercings came out great! We spent an hour or two just talking with Shawn after, about life.
Service: 5 out of 5!
Ambiance: 5 out of 5!
It has that Je Né Sais Quoi.
Everyone was nice and accommodating. A lovely establishment you guys have here.
Thanks for helping make our trip to Boston rad!

I am beyond disappointed with this tattoo parlor.
All I wanted was a tattoo in memory of my grandmother who died of cancer. Nothing extravagant at all — just an angel hugging a cancer ribbon. That’s all, nothing too complicated whatsoever.
The lines are nowhere near straight, even or crisp — my angel’s head is half faded to nothing, and I am so badly scarred, when another tattoo artist from a different tattoo parlor looked at it, she was shocked and horrified. She also told me I was 100% over charged for what I got.
This is extremely upsetting to me. I will not be returning to Kaleidoscope!

It took 10 years, but I was finally ready for a larger piece of art. I never even considered going to anyone other than Sandra. Couldn’t be more pleased w the end result.

Amazingly nice front of shop staff and amazingly talented artists. Real art, custom art, quality work.

I went in yesterday after running the Boston Marathon to get my first tattoo to celebrate the accomplishment. I had contacted Eric earlier in the week with a design choice that I saw. He had sketched out a few options and was completely flexible with any changes that I wanted to make. He was very patient when deciding where I wanted to place the tattoo and also offered suggestions to make sure it was exactly what I wanted. I was nervous before getting it, but both Eric and Shawn were chill and kept conversation going which helped ease my nerves. All in all a great experience and I’m glad that I found this place coming from out-​of-​town.

TonIght I got a tattoo from Danny who’s the apprentice. I got my boyfriend’s name in script. I found out after, it was his first script tattoo!!! He did a fantastic job. Not only does my tattoo look great but he was really professional and super sweet. He took guidance from Eric without resentment. I was happy to have him learn on me. This kids got a great future in the tattoo world. Eric was also really nice and I spoke to Shawn on the phone, he to made me feel really comfortable. Most important I don’t know how he did it but it only hurt for the first few minutes. If I ever get another tattoo Danny’s my guy for life… thanks Danny.

I had a great experience at Kaleidoscope with Sandra. Communication was easy and she was really able to understand what I was looking for and design me a beautiful piece of artwork. The shop is easy to find and parking on the street was much easier than I expected. The shop was also very clean, well-​lit and had tons of awesome artwork on the walls. I would definitely go back for future tattoos by Sandra! Prices were extremely reasonable.

I’ve gotten three tattoos here and my experiences have been different. The first (also my very first tattoo) was done by an artist who was totally uncaring. He took in a group of girls first and spent about an hour with them. She got a small tattoo on her ankle. Mine however, took 20 minutes and I can’t say I was totally satisfied. The lines are uneven and different thicknesses throughout the wording.
My second and third tattoo from their were done by Markus. He is great! He spent about an hour with me before each tattoo just making little changes and experimenting with placement. I was probably very annoying but he just kept saying that it was going to be on my body forever and I should be 100% confident in it. He was so thoughtful and patient and the art itself came out beautifully. I can’t tell you how many compliments I’ve gotten on the two he has done.
IF you decide to get inked here, make sure you wait for an appointment with Markus. He is WELL worth it.
Also, VERY good pricing for the quality of work I got.

I was searching the Internet at 3am when I stumbled upon this place and the artists inside. The website was legible — what gives? I could see portfolios online *easily* and find Facebook profiles with professionalism. I felt pretty pleased.
Searching for an artist was pleasantly fun and I was excited to work with Sandra on my ½ sleeve. She will forever be my go-​to. Professional, serious integrity and fun to sit with. She excels at foliage and quirky. Prices are fair and I don’t feel this place is a bit exploitive. You can’t say that for every shop or artist.

I went to Kaleidoscope last year for my first tattoo. As someone who hates needles I was a little torn on getting one, but I was referred to Shawn McCarron by a work friend and figured I would go for it. I wanted to get a memorial tattoo for my grandfather, but only had a basic idea of what I wanted. Shawn was INCREDIBLE! He communicated via email, which made it extremely easy to share some ideas of what I wanted with him and allowed him to reply without the headaches of phone tag.
On the day of my appointment, Shawn was extremely friendly and immediately made me feel comfortable. As a first timer, I was very nervous and he handled it really well. I ended up asking him to do an image with some depth that I was afraid was nearly impossible, but he pulled it off without issue. The art is amazing and the experience was very personal and private. I still don’t love needles, and I’m not certain I’ll be getting another tattoo, but if I do, it will be from Shawn.

Can’t say enough good things about this shop! Not only are all the artists extremely talented, they’re also really cool, down to Earth people. I honestly wouldn’t even consider getting tattooed anywhere else. I have been going here for almost 9 years and have never once been disappointed with their work. If you’re looking for a quality tattoo, they’re the best in the area. Do yourself a favor and stop in for a consultation. If you’re not into it, you can always walk out… However I would question your judgment if you did so :)
PS: Cash is King.

I had a Tattoo artist I was very comfortable with, and then he got burnt out and took sometime off, I had a Memorial Celtic Cross I wanted to have done in memory of my daughter, I met with Shawn at Kaleidoscope, told him what I wanted and where i wanted it, he was nothing short of professional and courteous. My friend who was my initial tattoo artist has since begun working again, but I feel so comfortable with the staff at Kaleidoscope that my wife and sons now are customers.
Top notch staff, artist and people, some people are great artist, the staff here are all great tattooist

OK. First and foremost, in order for you to trust me and my opinion, I feel that I must be 100% truthful from the start. It needs to be said that I never actually got tattooed at this shop. I have been inside of it, and it is quite nice. Lots of great art on the walls and that delicious smell you can only find at a prestigious tattoo shop. This review is actually for the great and wonderful Michael Hastings, tattooer extraordinaire.
I met Mike when I first moved to Somerville. It was actually my first day there. Mike was working at a different shop, which really does not need to be named, as it is really just not important. This is about Mike, remember… Anyway, Mike was super friendly upon arrival. I scheduled an appointment and was back shortly for my tattoo. I got a small traditional cattle skull. It was amazing. I mean it was so amazing, that right then and there I decided to get another tattoo. An adorable hermit crab. It is perfect. Like Mike. Since then, I have been tattooed by Mike a few more times. He has done both of my shins at this point. I am now residing in New York, where I pester him all of the time to come out here just so I can get tattooed by him. I have even offered him my couch in hopes to convince him. (it hasn’t worked yet…)
So long story short, if you are looking for an incredible traditional tattoo, Mike Hastings is the man to go to. He is professional, his line work is solid, his colors are bold and he is just an overall nice smelling guy.
Definitely check him out at Kaleidoscope Tattoo. I promise it will be well worth it!

Came here for a quick, simple earlobe piercing. We ran in without an appointment 30 minutes before they closed, so they were very nice about accommodating us.
Pretty small area, with smaller rooms for privacy. There was only one person staffing when we dropped by — they were courteous, very clean, and very nice. Did a quick job and we were in and out in 20 minutes.

I love this shop. Everyone is friendly and professional and most importantly, great at what they do. My tattooer Markus has become a friend and I am a loyal customer. Is there a way to put gift certificates to tattoo shops on your wedding registry?

TOP NOTCH! About a year and a half ago, I was looking to get a portrait of my daughter done on my chest. Of course, being that it was going to be a potrait of my daughter, I needed to do my homework and find the absolute best artist for the job. Shawn, the owner of Kaleidoscope and high school classmate of mine, reached out to me and told me to look no futher, he had the right guy for the job. He told me about Markus and told me to swing by just to meet the guy. A few days later, I did just that. After catching up a bit with Shawn, I met with Markus to discuss the tattoo. After meeting with him and looking at some of his other portraits, I knew I found the right artist. So, he took took my picture and set up my appointment for a few weeks later.
When I arrived, Markus was ready to go, no wait. He showed me the sketch of the tattoo and I have to admit, I was like «who is that». Seeing the reaction, Markus told me not to worry, its just an outline and that he looks at the actual photo when laying the tattoo down. about 2 ½ later, he finished up and told me to take a look. I couldn’t believe what I was looking at. It was a spitting image of my daughter’s picture on my chest. Every detail, right down to each curl on her head, was spot on. Markus killed it! I couldn’t have imagined a better job being done. Markus, is without a doubt, THE man if you are looking to get a portrait done. If you don’t believe me, check out his work online
Kaleidoscope is as clean as it gets, the atmosphere rocks, and as soon as you walk in, you know this is THE place for tattoos. Shawn has put together an amazing and very talented staff of piecers and artists, to fit anyones needs.
Thank you Shawn for reaching out to me and thank you Markus for giving me a potrait of my daughter I will carry with me forever. I have a lot of ideas for more tattoos so I know I will be seeing you guys soon!

I love this shop! From the first moment I walked in, I felt super comfortable. A lot of shops are full of inappropriate behavior or comments– not that I can’t take it; but it’s refreshing to walk into a place and feel welcomed.
I first contacted the shop when my best friend and I decided to get our first tattoo. We did our research, and we decided that Markus would be our person after going through his portfolio online. We called to schedule a consult; and when we met Markus in person, he was very genuine and helpful. He answered all our questions and set up our appointment. He gave us advice about making sure we ate before we arrived.
The day of the appointment, Markus explained everything. He did another consult. I wanted stars on my legs, and he took the time to place every star stencil where I wanted. It was time consuming, but Markus is a true professional and understood what direction I wanted to go as well as my anxiety. Before the actual tattoo was officially started, Markus explained the whole process as well as explained how some clients get lightheaded or pass out. He asked if I felt weird at all to immediately let him know. I ended up feeling weird, so we took lots of breaks. Markus never rushed me or made me feel uncomfortable. He gave me breaks to eat and get my sugar up. He also made sure what he did was exactly what I wanted.
My friend’s tattoo went a lot quicker than mine; and even though she was there to listen to Markus when he explained everything to me, he took the time to re-​explain the process to her. Needless to say, we each had a great experience. Since then, I have returned to see Markus to get two more pieces– a cross with beautiful shading, and then a rose with vines I added to the cross with the most amazing color– people think I have a sticker it looks so good! Each time, Markus was aware of my feeling weird each time I get tattooed. He always books enough time so as not to make me feel rushed. He also gives realistic advice and opinions on placement and size, and guarantees his work everywhere except on the hands and feet– they fade the quickest on those areas. He takes a lot of pride in his work, and everything he does is original! He is a true artist. I have plans for future works, and am a hundred percent happy with my ink!
Each time I returned, my best friend also got work done. Everyone I have referred to Markus has been just as happy with his quality of work including my sister who has also been multiple times for work. We support the shop on Facebook as well as Markus’ page and follow both the shop and Markus on Instagram.
If Markus is the chilled out artist, then Shawn is his more lively counterpart! Shawn is the owner who is also a piercer and tattoo artist. He’s super outgoing and fun, and is also very genuine. He really knows how to run a successful shop from the great customer service and chilled out atmosphere to the décor of the shop which is trendy and chic. It’s not dark or overly masculine. There are pieces of art all over including hand painted original tattoo designs. Each of the rooms is stylized to each individual artist.
I’ve been going to Shawn for my basic piercings. He’s done 3 micro dermals on my leg, my lip piercing, and my septum. Piercings are something I’m not new to, but not getting sexually harassed while getting one is! Shawn does an efficient job, and is knowledgeable about any questions I may have. I’ve referred him as well to other people, and those who have gone to him always go back as well.
I highly recommend this shop! All the other artists are just as amazing and add their own style and flare. Even just stoping in to change jewelry or say a quick hello because I’m in the area is a great experience! Definitely check this place out!
*2 pictures of my ink and dermals are posted in the photo section.

This place can suck a nut.
I got two tattoos (one of each forearm) done here a few years ago. The tattoo artist was pleasant enough. They are solid black ravens. The lines were awful, and if I were to get them touched up now, I feel like they’d have to be hit at least twice to appear to be solid.
I tried to schedule my touch ups twice; both times the tattoo artist did not show up.
The next time I inquired I found out he had quit. Fine. I went in and was told they would touch it up, and they quoted me MORE than what the two had cost me initially.
Very meathead bro ked yaaah dood atmosphere. When I was in there they literally let one girl cram at least twenty of her friends into one of the partitioned tattoo rooms to watch her get a tiny clover or some shit done on her ribcage.
Anyways, one of those ravens is thankfully covered up by an excellent artist from the Boston Tattoo Company/​Painted Bird; she was able to cover it up when she was doing my full sleeve. The other one will be covered up hopefully by the end of the year.
The last time I walked by I saw the worst tattoo flash in my entire life in the window. Sweet Duck Carrying A Syringe, Brah.
If any of the other reviews are true, I might get an angry message from the owner. He’ll probably blame my outcome based on the aftercare, but my two other tattoos and full sleeve (Resemption and Boston Tattoo Company), have healed impeccably well with the same aftercare. Come at me Bro!
P. S. Don’t Put A Bird On It.