September 19, 2022 I Retail
Island Music Co. Partners with Tattoo Shop to Recognize City
From left: Keith Grasso, owner of Island Music Co., with Shannon Wang, owner of Bird City Records and Shop 53 Custom Tattoo and Art Studio, and Jeannine James, mayor of La Plata, Maryland.
Based in La Plata, Maryland, Island Music Company recently teamed up with fellow La Plata-based business, Shop 53 Custom Tattoo and Art Studio, to recognize its city as Maryland’s first Bird City. La Plata has been named Maryland’s first bird city due to its efforts to implement proper bird conservation practices by educating the community and enhancing conditions for birds to thrive.
Keith Grasso, owner of Island Music Company, and Shannon Wang, owner of Shop 53, have designed artwork of bird designs on the sidewalk leading up to Island Music Company. They decided to replicate the same bird art inlay seen on every guitar fretboard from Maryland-based guitar maker Paul Reed Smith.
“This is a unique opportunity to combine music designation with La Plata and create a sense of place on the Island Music campus,” Grasso said. “What a great opportunity to tie everything together. The sidewalk leads to the La Plata Loves Music mural and then to our front door. This is our version of the Yellow Brick Road.”
Wang said she was excited to take on this project because it “ties in perfectly with both of her businesses.”
“I’m not only a huge fan of birds, but we were able to tie everything together and use our talent from Shop 53 to create the artwork, while getting the word out about La Plata’s history and raise awareness of Maryland’s First Bird City,” she said. Wang’s love for the town of La Plata and her love for birds even inspired the name of her record store, Bird City Records.
“We’re beyond excited to be designated as Maryland’s first Bird City,” said Jeanine James, mayor of the town. “This is such a great opportunity to beautify our town and bring our community together in such a unique way.”
