Women Shaping Downtown Arlington: Wondrous Works Gift Shop and Space Monkey Tattoo

March is Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate the women whose leadership and creativity help shape our communities. In Downtown Arlington, longtime business owners like Wondrous Works Gift Shop and Space Monkey Tattoo have helped build the vibrant district visitors and residents enjoy today.

Wondrous Works Gift Shop: Where memories and curiosity meet

Wondrous Works Gift Shop has been part of Downtown Arlington since 2015, offering handmade goods, vintage treasures and one-of-a-kind finds. The shop is owned by Sherrie Phillips, who originally envisioned the store as a way to showcase handcrafted wooden mugs that had been made in-house for nearly 40 years.

“The idea for a gift shop began many years ago as a way to showcase the beautiful handmade wooden mugs we have made in house for almost 40 years,” Phillips said.

Her love for antiques and vintage pieces helped shape the shop’s identity. When Downtown Arlington began revitalizing, she saw an opportunity to bring that vision to life.

“When Downtown Arlington started to be revitalized, I realized the time was right,” she said.

Since opening, Phillips has watched the district grow into a vibrant destination for both visitors and residents. She credits the support of Downtown Arlington Management Corporation, the City of Arlington and fellow small business owners for helping create a welcoming environment for locally owned businesses.

One of the most rewarding parts of running the shop is seeing how vintage items spark connections between generations. Children are often fascinated by objects like typewriters or old telephones, while adults remember using them in their own childhoods.

“When items spark memory for the adult and a new understanding of the past for a child, it is really special,” Phillips said.

Phillips says her leadership style centers on building strong relationships with both employees and customers. During Women’s History Month, she says it’s encouraging to see more women opening businesses in Downtown Arlington.

“It is so exciting, at my age, to not be the outlier as a woman owned business, but to rather be part of a larger community of women owned businesses,” she said.

Space Monkey Tattoo: Creating lasting impact in Downtown Arlington

Samantha Frederick, owner of Space Monkey Tattoo, has been part of Arlington’s tattoo community for years. Before opening her current studio in Downtown Arlington, she owned Depiction Tattoo in the city for about 15 years, building strong relationships with artists and clients.

The move to downtown came when developer Ryan Dodson reached out about relocating the shop. For Frederick, the opportunity felt especially meaningful.

“My best friend growing up had a dad who owned Bill’s Upholstery down here, and I spent a lot of time hanging around that shop as a kid,” she said. “So the idea of bringing the studio into that exact same space where I had those memories growing up just felt right.”

Opening Space Monkey in that location brought those childhood memories full circle while allowing Frederick to be part of Downtown Arlington’s continued growth.

Frederick says one of the most rewarding parts of running the studio is seeing the meaning behind the tattoos clients choose. Many people come in to mark milestones, celebrate relationships or honor important moments in their lives.

“Sometimes it’s seeing how much a tattoo means to someone personally,” she said. “Those moments remind me why I love what I do.”

She also works to create a studio environment where artists feel supported and clients feel comfortable from the moment they walk through the door.

Advice for Future Women Entrepreneurs

Both Phillips and Frederick say entrepreneurship often requires stepping outside of your comfort zone and trusting your instincts.

For Phillips, opening Wondrous Works Gift Shop meant moving forward with a vision for a welcoming space where people could explore unique items and connect through shared memories.

“Just do it,” she said. “Don’t accept ‘you can’t do it’ as an answer. Do it before you are ready.”

Frederick says building a business also means staying committed to the experiences you create for the community.

“We tattoo people every day, seven days a week,” she said. “We’re literally making a lasting impact on people all the time.”

As more women open businesses throughout the district, both owners say it’s inspiring to see the growing network of entrepreneurs supporting one another in Downtown Arlington.