A short documentary film sharing how a young couple who met in a recovery house became artists, entrepreneurs, and community leaders.

SUBJECTS & STORY

Keith learned to tattoo in prison. After over ten years moving between recovery houses, prison, and homelessness, Keith’s last arrest in 2013 was his rock bottom. While inside, he learned tattooing from artists and mentors serving 20 to life sentences - and knew this was his passion and his calling.

Cheryl always had a passion for the beauty industry. She graduated top of her class and didn’t find herself in the grip of addiction until several years later in her career. Ultimately, using nearly destroyed her career as a stylist and it wasn’t until she found recovery that she realized her true potential with her craft.

Keith and Cheryl met in Port Recovery in Baltimore, Maryland in 2016. Now, they have married, have started a family - and opened the award-winning Ink or Dye Studio, where Keith gives tattoos and Cheryl does hair.

Their recovery is at the forefront of their business. In 2019, Ink or Dye hosted the Recovery Awareness Foundation Fundraiser, where they helped raise over $7,000 to help struggling individuals access treatment and housing by giving free tattoos. In 2020, Ink or Dye launched their Erase the Hate campaign, offering free tattoos to cover up tattoos of gang and/or hate symbols. The Erase the Hate program has given over $20,000 worth of free tattoos since 2021.

STATUS & IMPACT

We are currently in the pre-production phase of INK OR DYE, finalizing funding and gearing up for our first shoot in September 2023.

We recently received grant awards from the Maryland State Arts Council and Queen Anne’s County Arts Council to make this film and share it with local audiences.

TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATION LEVELS

We can accept tax-deductible contributions through our fiscal sponsor Fusion Partners. Your donations can earn you the following credits in the short film:

-$100 and above: Special Thanks

-$1,000 and above: Associate Producer

-$2,500 and above: Executive Producer