Talented artist pursues her dreams

By Andrea Busche

Atjust 23 years old, Markéa Wyro is already an accomplished artist. She has completed several commissioned works, and today works full time as a tattoo artist. Living her life as a professional artist nourishes her soul.

But there was a time that she tried following a more conventional path; one that clearly wasn’t right for her. Gratefully, she recognized this, pivoted, and has continued to pursue her dreams ever since.

Immersed in art

Wyro was born and raised in the small town of Antigo, Wisconsin, the oldest of seven children. She was mostly raised by her mother, Katie — who was single until she met Wyro’s stepfather, Peter — along with her grandma and great-grandma.

“I was very heavily influenced by these three amazing women,” she said. “They showed me a lot about kindness, and how to treat other people.”

Markéa Wyro braves the cold weather in order to show off the early stages of a sleeve tattoo she is getting from Jason Voss, owner of Gitchee Gumee Tattoo.

They also taught her about art.

“My Nana (grandma) taught me to draw trees with charcoal. She still has pictures of me painting with an easel when I was very young.”

Wyro graduated from Stewartville High School near Rochester, Minnesota. There, she took several art classes, and even served as the art teacher’s student helper.

College

Wyro’s family wanted the best for her and felt uncertain about whether she’d be able to make a living as an artist. So, at their behest, Wyro decided to attend college — as a pre-med student. She began at Rochester Community and Technical College, later transferring to South Dakota State University.

Ultimately, she knew it was time to reassess her plans.

“I realized it wasn’t the right path for me, and dropped out,” she said. “It didn’t make me happy because I knew I wanted to be an artist.”

Wyro later moved to La Crosse, Wisconsin, with several friends. She worked at a bar to pay the bills, while landing several private art commissions on the side. Notably, she was hired by the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse’s feminist club to create several artistic renderings they could use to create T-shirts and posters.

“That really made me think I could be an artist,” she noted of that early success.

Tattooing

After a chance encounter with a friend who was interested in “stick and poke” tattoos, Wyro became intrigued by the art form of tattooing. She went door to door, visiting every tattoo shop

Continued on page 8 in La Crosse, until she landed at Mind Altering Tattoos, owned by Cody Story. Story would later become her mentor.

“Cody gave me 30 minutes to draw three things: a bird, a rose and a sacred heart,” Wyro explained. “He saw my work and asked me to start the next day. At first, I started out scrubbing the floors, but eventually Cody and everyone in the shop helped me learn, and I was a tattoo artist there for a year.”

Wyro left La Crosse on good terms and moved to Duluth in October 2021. She has a significant support network, which includes many friends, and her boyfriend, Marcus, who works as a musician.

Wyro got a job at Gitchee Gumee Tattoo in Duluth, owned by Jason Voss, and today works full-time as an artist.

“First, Jason had me start at the front desk, getting a feel for how he runs his shop, and learning how the other artists worked,” she said. “Today, I am a full-time tattoo artist.”

When it comes to tattooing, Wyro doesn’t have a particular niche; rather, she prefers to be more of a generalist.

“I want to be able to tattoo every style,” she said. “It’s good to be an all-around artist. Jason does a lot of traditional and Japanese-style tattoos, and I love learning about these styles, and the history of tattooing, too.”

Wyro, and the rest of the Gitchee Gumee team, accept appointments as well as walk-in clients as time allows.

If she had to pick, a favorite tattoo she has completed for a client would be one that is both simple and sweet: a frog sitting on a mushroom playing a guitar. When it comes to her own skin, “I have more tattoos than I can count,” she said with a laugh.

Her most meaningful, however, is a full sleeve on her arm. It honors a dear friend who has passed away, and their shared love for the book “The Divine Comedy.”

Other Interests

When she isn’t working, Wyro enjoys pursuing other forms of art, including drawing and painting. She also likes swimming, hiking, reading and spending time at the beach. She lives in the Morgan Park neighborhood with a friend, Julia, and has a rescue turtle named Lenny.

In the pursuit of more knowledge, Wyro will be attending the Philadelphia Tattoo Arts Convention later this month. She will join her colleagues to learn more about this unique art form, and hopefully bring in some new clients.

“Gitchee Gumee has been very welcoming, and they’ve already taught me a lot,” she said. “But I’m a young artist looking to learn more.”

Eventually, Wyro would love to become more involved with Duluth’s art community; particularly women’s art. Other big dreams include having her art on exhibit in museums, owning her own tattoo shop, and opening a turtle/tortoise sanctuary.

Advice

When it comes to advice for others, Wyro stresses that it’s important to march to the beat of your own drum.

“Tattooing can be a hard thing to get into — especially for young women,” she said. “But I’d like to encourage anyone who is interested, and tell them they can do it. Put together a portfolio of your art and start talking with other artists.”

In regard to her family, who were initially somewhat reluctant about her pursuit of life as an artist: “They are all extremely happy and supportive of me and my career now,” Wyro said. “In fact, they all want tattoos from me!” D