Renette Hammer, a tattoo artist in San Francisco’s Mission District, channels her Mescalero Apache roots through her work at 24th Street Studio. From a young age in Colorado, Hammer showed a passion for art, often getting in trouble for drawing on her body. She even sold fake tattoos from her lemonade stand. At 15, she got her first real tattoo, sparking a lifelong passion.
Thirteen years ago, Hammer began her journey to becoming a tattoo artist. Her apprenticeship was unconventional, under a tough mentor associated with the Hells Angels. Despite the challenges, she gained valuable experience.
Hammer recalls one incident with her mentor, a man with debts around town. To prevent trouble, she offered to tattoo a debt collector with no prior experience, improvising with a coil machine. The result was a tattoo of the letters ‘FTW.’
Growing up on the Mescalero Apache reservation in New Mexico, Hammer learned resourcefulness. She persuaded her family to support her dream by emphasizing the Apache tradition of tattoos as “ink medicine.”
Hammer traveled the country, tattooing while driving a school bus and performing with Enigma, a sideshow artist. Despite being a visual artist, she draws inspiration from poets. She fondly remembers her time in Colorado, where she lived near train tracks frequented by counterculture icon Ken Kesey.
San Francisco, with its rich tattoo history and Beat Poet connections, felt like home to Hammer. She chose the city over Los Angeles, feeling it was her destined place. She worked hard, learning the business side of tattooing and refining her craft. Despite initial skepticism from others, she mastered various tattoo styles, from microportraits to color realism.
In spring 2021, amid COVID uncertainties, Hammer realized her dream of opening her own shop. She found a prime location at 24th St. and Treat, and with strong community support, overcame zoning challenges to open 24th Street Studio. The shop has since become a neighborhood hub, hosting art pop-ups and local events.
Naming the shop after 24th Street was Hammer’s way of honoring the Mission District. “The Mission is the Mission,” she says, emphasizing her commitment to the community over self-promotion.
Tattooing in San Francisco can be competitive, but Hammer values the protective, community-oriented mentality. She believes it reflects both the neighborhood and her Native heritage.
Hammer sees tattooing as a way to bring people together, offering “tattoo medicine” to the city. Despite her success, she remains driven, always looking to achieve more. Her journey reflects a blend of artistic passion and resilience, embodying the spirit of San Francisco.
“San Francisco is hard, but if you tuck down, and just believe in yourself, manifest, it’ll happen,” Hammer concludes. “It’ll work for you.”