Bethrah Szumski
(ATH, ATL, and Marietta– Piercing and Cosmetic Tattooing)
Bethrah Szumski has been working full time since she was seventeen years old. Her early jobs as a hostess and waitress taught her to work efficiently with a cordial attitude and an eye towards product consistency.
She received her tattoo apprenticeship from former husband Cap Szumski. After moving with him to Atlanta in late 1994 she both apprenticed and helped open Timeless Tattoo. Her position in the studio evolved into a management roll including tattooing, front desk, paperwork, supply ordering and artist hiring. She devoted a great deal of time to keeping the studio current on health and safety related issues. She introduced Caretech products, air purifiers and autoclave spore testing to name just a few. January 2000 brought the purchase of Pain and Wonder Tattoo in Athens, GA. Bethrah and Cap divided their workweek between the two studios and instituted the same high standards available from Timeless.
Bethrah has been piercing since 1995. After completing her Gauntlet course work she was mentored by Elayne Angel who has continued to provide both professional and personal support throughout her career. She founded Virtue and Vice Body Piercing in 1995, which operated from the Timeless Tattoo location and then from Pain and Wonder after its acquisition in 2000. In an effort to keep up with current piercing related information she became a member of the Association of Professional Piercers (APP) in 1996. Her roll shortly switched from student to teacher when in 1998 she was appointed as Secretary of the APP. She immediately instituted the Associations first elections and was duly elected to the position. She served a full three year term during which (among other things) she reviewed antabuse disulfiram alcoholism applications for membership from applicants world wide, giving her an expert eye for appropriate studio set-up. She was then elected to the position of President. She served an additional three year term in that position. She is credited with having played a key roll in stabilizing the organization. During her tenure with the A.P.P. she organized seven US conferences and two in Europe. Her conference duties at various points included contract negotiation, attendee registration, promotion, literature distribution, financial officer, event scheduling, vendor relations and floor-plan and hotel and union relations just to name a few. She has also provided countless courses of education to piercers, health care providers and law-makers. She is the recipient of the Presidents Award, the Associations Award of Appreciation and was voted Hardest Working Piercer in 2005.
In 2005 Bethrah obtained full ownership of Pain and Wonder Tattoo and Body Piercing and moved her Atlanta piercing location, Virtue and Vice Inc., three doors down from its original location within Timeless Tattoo and expanded her service range to include Permanent Cosmetics.
From May of 2008 to June of 2015 Bethrah returned to service within the Association of Professional Piercers Board of Directors as its Secretary. During that time she restructured the Association’s annual conference planning by establishing a Conference Committee and provided educational outreach courses in Italy, Germany and Mexico. Upon her departure for the board and membership committee she became a member of the oversight and curriculum committees. She also established the organizations annual members only retreat for advanced education. She continues this work today.
You may view copies of Bethrah’s older certifications by clicking the thumbnails below (newer ones are up in the studio):