Montana For Palestine to host third annual Ink Out Loud Event

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this article stated that MT4P was founded in 2020, the Bozeman chapter was created in 2022, the Ink Out Loud event is the organization’s largest fundraiser and that MT4P is currently supporting 15 families. The article was corrected online on April 9 to clarify that MT4P was founded in 2021, the Bozeman chapter was created in 2023, the Ink Out Loud event is the chapter’s largest fundraiser and that MT4P is currently supporting 14 families. 

As the war in the Gaza Strip and West Bank continues, local advocacy group Montana For Palestine (MT4P) is hosting its third annual Ink Out Loud event to raise money for impacted families. 

On Sunday, April 19 from 4 to 8 p.m., MT4P will collaborate with Studio Wheelhouse, Skull.N.Co. Tattoo and other local artisans for the event, which will feature art vendors, raffles, food and flash tattoos. Since the event started in 2024, it has been the Bozeman chapter of MT4P’s largest fundraiser. 

MT4P was founded in Missoula in 2021 and expanded to Bozeman in 2023. Its mission is to advocate for the liberation of Palestinians through fundraising, education, direct action and political advocacy, according to its website.

MT4P member Amelia Huba said there will be a $5 cover charge at the door and the proceeds will go straight to Palestinian families. 

During Ink Out Loud, there will be an educational workshop focused on how people can find alternatives to companies that may not be aligned with the Palestinian cause, according to Huba. 

Huba said the workshop aims to help people participate in a Palestinian-led movement called Boycott, Divest, Sanction (BDS). This initiative started in 2005 and aims to use global solidarity to pressure Israel to comply with international law, according to the BDS website.  

“Palestinians are calling for Spotify to officially be part of the boycott, but that is a difficult platform for people to move away from,” she said. “We want to give people the information and tools to move away from [using] BDS targets.” 

In addition to the workshop, local artists will be tattooing people to raise funds for Palestinian families. 

Lindsey Thompson, a tattoo artist at Skull.N.Co., said she is very excited to participate this year. She is one of the artists working on a flash sheet, which she said will likely focus on Palestinian advocacy and iconography — such as the watermelon and keffiyeh — in an American traditional theme. 

“[MT4P] reached out to see if I’d be interested in donating my time, and I said yes instantly because I think it’s a really cool organization and really cool that they're doing something like this in Montana,” she said. “I think it’s important to help out platforms like this [that] are trying to help people.” 

Thompson added that the fundraiser aligns with the studio’s values. “I feel like the connection with at least this event —  Ink Out Loud — is that our tattoo studio is a collective,” she said. “We like to bring people in that have their own art. That is like a community in itself, so connecting that with this event is so cool.”

Patrick Thomas, the owner of Skull.N.Co., said this issue hits close to home, as the bulk of his family heritage stems from Lebanon. According to him, his flash tattoo designs will be inspired by the region’s nature and history.

“That way, when Americans are here — so insulated and removed from these environments — they can look at those things and say, ‘You know this is part of the cause I support, and I’m getting something that isn’t on the nose, but it’s a reflection of my connection to it,’” Thomas said. 

He also said that the studio is doing its best to keep costs down for attendees, as tattoos will likely be in the $80-$100 range.

“Everything is very expensive right now, and for people to come out and support this, I want to make it a palatable and approachable price range, and ensure that the tattoo they're getting feels like a pretty great deal too,” Thomas said. 

According to Thomas, all revenue will go to MT4P. Additionally, he said the artists are donating their time and materials for the event. 

Huba said that MT4P does not donate to groups such as the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund or Doctors Without Borders; instead, it contributes directly to families living in the West Bank and Gaza.

MT4P is currently supporting 14 families and the organization has a public spreadsheet of where donations go on its website, according to her.

Huba encouraged everyone to attend the event and get involved with MT4P.

“It’s a really neat opportunity to meet people who are doing active mutual aid in our community and abroad, and also to learn and be in community with folks who are also learning all at the same time,” she said.

To learn more about the Ink Out Loud event, check out MT4P’s Instagram page @mt4palestine.