A Tattoo Studio Was Destroyed In Northwest Portland Fireball—Now, It's Trying to Raise Money to Rebuild

Art Works Rebels Tattoo Studio has created a GoFundMe page to help raise money to rebuild the shop.

An explosion and four-alarm fire on Wednesday morning completely destroyed a 1906 building housing a bagel shop on Northwest 23rd Avenue and Glisan Street.

Related: Portland Bagelworks Vanishes in Northwest 23rd Avenue Gas-Leak Explosion

The three-story building also housed eyewear boutique Fetch, along with Art Work Rebels Tattoo Studio, which has occupied the second floor of the building for the last seven years.

The studio's owner Jason Kundell was on his way to work when the explosion happened.

"I got a text from the manager who was at the shop and smelled the gas, so she left and another employee was a block away—and thats when the blast went off," he says. "My reaction was somewhere between 'holy shit' and 'oh fuck.'"

Kundell's former co-worker created a GoFundMe page today to help raise money to rebuild the shop. In less than 24 hours, more than 360 people have contributed to raise nearly $39,000 of the $50,000 goal.

"The tattoo community has been so supportive right off the bat," he says. "It took off like wildfire. Theres an immense amount of original artwork, books, antiquities, stuff that's irreplaceable. Insurance takes so long to kick in and I have employees who have families, so really the GoFundMe is to move into a new place as soon as possible."

He also says local businesses have been generous in helping Kundell and his family. Fillmore Trattoria and Ataula have offered him and his family free dinners.

And although the space is destroyed, he wants people to know that he still wants to follow up on appointments.

"Everything got demolished, which includes our schedules, so if people could email the shop that'd be fantastic," he says.

Fortunately, nobody died in the explosion, but three firefighters, two police officers, and three other people were injured. Employees at Fetch tweeted that the store cat, Mau Mau, was missing.

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