Hope Gallery, located in the heart of downtown New Haven at 817 Chapel St., was founded in late summer of Two Thousand Three, and opened its doors with the intent to provide the greater New Haven area with the likes of a business anyone had yet witness in action. Combining the notion that there could be a fully functional, working art and tattoo studio blended seamlessly with an open spacious art gallery.
The idea is as unique as each of its three proprietors: Joseph Capobianco, Julio Rodriguez, and Eric Merrill each combining over 30 years in the field of tattooing. Joe Capobianco arrived in the New Haven area as an established, refined artist in the field of airbrushing and tattooing. He utilizes various techniques and mediums in order to create some of the most fascinating pinup style pieces, resembling those of the late 1950s with an added modern flair. This style has directly correlated to his tattoo work as well, winning him numerous awards time and time again, throughout prestigious tattooing events and conventions.
