Ink and Impact: An Artist’s Role in Climate Advocacy
Photos by Emily Tidwell
Change is the only constant. For tattoo artist Angel Lopez, this has been a guiding principle throughout his journey. From Tijuana, Mexico, to the crag and mountain bike trails of California, he’s been intersecting his love for the outdoors with his craft.
We teamed up with tattoo artist and POW Creative Alliance member Angel Lopez and Teton Gravity Research (TGR) to bring fresh perspectives to modern classics. These new threads give a whole new meaning to wearing your heart on your sleeve, and TGR will donate 10% of all sales back to POW.
Before you hop over to our site to buy a new fit, read more about Angel and his commitment to caring and how loving the outdoors and tattooing intersect.
Art as a Vehicle for Activism
We often think of outdoor advocacy in terms of policy lobbying or organized events, but oftentimes, real change happens in the creative corners of our community. Angel is an example of that.
A biker, climber, skateboarder, and enthusiastic-get-outsider, Angel moves through life and career with trust in the outdoors. It’s his gateway to healing, inspiration, and creativity.
He’s been a climate advocate for over 16 years and a dedicated voice in the climbing community who has moved beyond just vocal support. Angel integrated advocacy directly into his business model. He donates between 20% and sometimes 50% of his tattoo proceeds to orgs like Access Fund, POW, and local mountain bike orgs.
His tattoos transform from physical body art into tangible support for the wild places we all share.
Resilience and the Pandemic Pivot
2020 brought challenges, tragedies, loss, new fears unlocked, and a new opportunity to get outside in a way we haven’t experienced before as a collective society. Social distancing became the norm, shops were forced to shut their doors, and trails became a popular scene for staying safe and healthy.
Angel took to the mountain bike trails and found solace in the movement. During that time, he launched a tattoo flash event supporting the local mountain bike community groups in San Diego. He took the challenges he faced as a business owner during the height of COVID and translated them into lessons to take into life: be brave and protect the people and places you love.
Wear Your Heart On Your Sleeve
The POW x TGR merch line pushes the boundaries of what we’ve done before. We’re stepping out of our comfort zone every day to advocate for what we aim to protect; this one just happens to be as stylish as it comes.
Some of us are in DC, some of us are guiding groups of nature-curious people and teaching them the profound impact climate change is having on our wild spaces, while others are behind the paintbrush (or tattoo gun).
POW and TGR are proud to support the work it takes to protect our winters from the mountains to the inside of the tattoo studio. When you wear this collection, remember what it represents. We’re a community of people using whatever tools we have to make a difference.
Shop the POW x TGR collection and wear a piece of that commitment with you.
Author: Ollie Bowen
Raised in the Midwest but now proudly rooted in Vermont, Ollie has found home in the mountains, forests, and waterways of the Northeast. Whether climbing, camping, hiking, sailing, or snowboarding, they find joy and grounding in time spent outdoors. Before joining Protect Our Winters as Digital Marketing Coordinator, Ollie worked in Internal Communications at Burton […]
