Jeff Tarkenton of Mirth Inkorporated on Leading a PUNK Life in the 757

Real, energetic and unapologetically unfiltered, Jeff Tarnkenton stood in front of several original artworks as he kicked off our June Creative Morning gathering in The Garage, needing very little introduction. The artist, curator and filmmaker – a dynamic force and facilitator – within the local arts scene was greeted by cheers and enthusiasm as he kicked off his talk and took us on a journey through his proudly PUNK life.

Jeff’s rebellious journey began not long after losing his father, a satirical cartoonist for The Virginian-Pilot, when he was just nine years old. Unchecked grief, he explained, snowballed into anger, which he channeled in skating and surfing. While these activities were primarily solitary, their punk-music soundtracks provided both company and comfort. In the no-rules-apply environment of the skateboarding scene, Jeff found unlimited freedom.

With an eagerness to break away and with nothing to lose, Jeff followed friends down to St. Augustine, Fla., in his early 20s. There, they transformed the empty pool in an abandoned house in the woods into their own skate park, spray-painting and graffiti-bombing any available surface they could find. Jeff’s handiwork even landed them in several niche skateboarding magazines, cementing his punk “street cred.”

“What could be more punk rock than jumping off a flight of stairs on a piece of wood with wheels?”

Ultimately, it was this “do it yourself” attitude of the punk ethos that would influence Jeff well beyond his younger years. By his early 30s, tired of being tired and determined to nurture his artistic talents, Jeff quit alcohol and drugs and began focusing on art as a serious endeavor.

His sobriety changed everything, Jeff vulnerably shared with the group. Graffiti and street-art projects soon paved the way for commissioned murals at local restaurants, cafés and even the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA). As of a year ago, Jeff is officially a full-time professional artist, lending his talents around Coastal Virginia in a variety of mediums.

What began as a pop-up art show 10 years ago is now the area’s well-established Artist’s Block. Imagined and led by Jeff, he refers to the beloved event as a “carnival of which I am the ringleader; it’s like microdosing a circus!” Dozens of local artists and creators have benefited from Jeff’s spirited efforts, which now extend far beyond a block.

In the DIY spirit that has inspired him from the beginning, Jeff pursued filmmaking. In 2020, he produced and directed “The Shadowlawn Creeper,” an homage to his favorite 80s b-horror movies.

“I want my art to show others that they can do whatever they believe they can do.”

Jeff’s Mirth Inkorporated brand was inspired by a sense of “joyful mischief” and the ethos of the punk subculture. Rebelling against the status quo, carving out his own path and remaining authentically himself, Jeff says, is the only way he wants to live. In this way, he plans to be “punk” for the rest of his life – and everyone in attendance can agree, Virginia Beach is the better for it.

“Virginia Beach is punk. Here, it’s not about where you’re from but about where you are. Just be a decent human!”

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Written by CMVB volunteer blogger Valeria L. Palmertree

Join us every third Friday in 2025 as we explore, along with 236 other cities in 69 countries around the world, 12 new themes in a face-to-face community format. Recent themes have included Cycle, Layers, Revival, Punk and Parallel. July’s theme is MENTOR, and our featured speaker will be Deirdre Love, founder of Teens with a Purpose.

CM also has virtual field trips and a database of previous talks to enjoy and explore at home.