Clockshop

What Clockshop does

Clockshop is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization founded in 2004 that produces free public programming at the intersection of artists, communities, and public lands, with a sustained focus on the Los Angeles River corridor. Its core offerings include commissioned public art installations, free public events such as the annual Kite Festival and the seasonal Listening by Moonrise series, self-guided audio tours (e.g., the Rosten Woo-commissioned What Water Wants launched in October 2024 as part of PST ART), and the Cultural Atlas 'Take Me to Your River' digital platform. The organization also runs a gallery-style online shop at shop.clockshop.org selling gifts from artist commissions.

The underlying technical layer is intentionally minimal: a WordPress website, a Substack newsletter (yOUR River), an e-commerce storefront, and QR-code-accessible audio tours for in-park listening experiences. Clockshop's core competency is curatorial and relational rather than technological, anchored by twenty years of community trust, fair artist compensation, and privileged physical access to scarce public venues including LA State Historic Park, Lewis MacAdams Riverfront Park, and the Taylor Yard Bridge through partnerships with California State Parks, MRCA, and The Nature Conservancy.

The business model is a diversified nonprofit funding stack rather than a commercial revenue model. Income is generated across individual donations (with tiered giving circles from Nurturer $2,500 up to Steward $25,000+ and the $5,000-$7,500 Bowtie Collaborative two-year commitment), corporate sponsorships (notably tied to the Kite Festival and team volunteer days), foundation and government grants (Getty Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts, Hearthland Foundation, IMLS, ARLA), merchandise sales, and stock donations. Customer segments span the general Los Angeles public, multidisciplinary artists seeking commissions, and corporate partners seeking community engagement opportunities. The organization operates with 1-10 employees from a single headquarters at 2806 Clearwater St, Los Angeles.

Name

Clockshop

Legal name

Clockshop

Website

https://clockshop.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Clockshop is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization, founded in 2004, that produces free public programming and commissioned artworks at the intersection of artists, communities, and public lands along the LA River. It serves the general public, multidisciplinary artists, and corporate partners through events, installations, and audio tours.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Arts Programming

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Theatre & Storytelling Festivals (MPAGAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

National/Seasonal Holiday Festivals (New Year, Harvest, Winter Markets) (MPAGAEAD), Crafts & Maker Arts (Ceramics, Textiles, Jewelry, Mixed Media) (EDAMAAAD)

Keywords

• Public art programming
• Community arts events
• Cultural programming
• Artist commissions
• Nonprofit arts organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting cultural programming on public land. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with EIN 33-105756.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorship packages including volunteer days for teams, with flagship opportunity at the annual Kite Festival reaching thousands of diverse Angeleno families.
3. Grants and Foundation Support: Funding from foundations including Getty Foundation, Hearthland Foundation, Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, and others.
4. Shop Sales: Sales of gifts from various artist commissions throughout their 20-year history, supporting programming and operations.
5. Stock Donations: Accepts stock donations as a way for supporters to make impactful contributions.
6. Bowtie Collaborative Membership: Visionary supporters group with $5,000-$7,500 two-year commitment providing curated gatherings, field experiences, and private programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Clockshop produces free public arts programming along the Los Angeles River and surrounding public lands, commissioning multidisciplinary artists to create performances, audio tours, sculptural installations, and community events. Offerings include the annual Kite Festival, the Listening by Moonrise series, the What Water Wants audio experience, the Bowtie Wetland Demonstration Project, the subterranean convergence installation, the Take Me to Your River Cultural Atlas, and the Hydrology Bike Tour, supported by an online shop selling artist-commissioned merchandise.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Clockshop Online Shop Online retail storefront (shop.clockshop.org) selling artist-commissioned gifts and merchandise, with proceeds supporting Clockshop's public arts programming and operations. Targeted at individual supporters and members of the public.
• What Water Wants Audio Tour Self-guided 30-minute audio tour by artist Rosten Woo at Lewis MacAdams Riverfront Park, immersing visitors in the hydrology of the LA River; delivered via QR code and web link, available in English and Spanish, for the general public and visitors.
• Listening by Moonrise Performance Series Seasonal outdoor performance series held along the LA River and at LA State Historic Park, featuring commissioned artists performing site-responsive works for the general public.
• Clockshop's Kite Festival Annual free community kite festival serving as Clockshop's flagship public event, reaching thousands of diverse Angeleno families and serving as the primary corporate sponsorship activation opportunity.
• Bowtie Wetland Demonstration Project Three-year collaboration with The Nature Conservancy and California State Parks producing a three-acre stormwater filtration and habitat restoration site along the LA River, anchored by Clockshop-commissioned permanent public artwork.
• Take Me to Your River Cultural Atlas Online Cultural Atlas ("Take Me to Your River") documenting the neighborhoods surrounding the Glendale Narrows of the LA River through individual community stories, serving as a free public digital resource.
• Subterranean Convergence Sculptural Installation Sculptural installation by LaRissa Rogers at LA State Historic Park, commissioned by Clockshop as part of its public art programming on the LA River, including an open call for community-contributed objects.
• Hydrology Bike Tour Free community bike tour along the LA River exploring hydrology and environmental justice, offered free with a suggested $5 donation and developed in partnership with East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice.

Quantifiable outcome

• Thousands of diverse Angeleno families reached at annual Kite Festival
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• The Nature ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree-year collaboration with The Nature Conservancy as part of the Bowtie Wetland Demonstration Project, a three-acre stormwater filtration and habitat restoration project along the LA River. Clockshop's artist commissions culminate in permanent artwork at the Bowtie site.
• California State ParkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership supporting projects at Los Angeles State Historic Park and the Bowtie area. Clockshop's projects at LA State Historic Park are supported through this partnership.
• Mountain Recreation & Conservation Authority (MRCA)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided generous use of Lewis MacAdams Park for the What Water Wants installation.
• Los Angeles Visual Arts (LAVA) CoalitionsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerClockshop is a member of the LAVA Coalition, a coalition supporting visual arts organizations in Los Angeles.
• East Yard Communities for Environmental JusticesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Clockshop for the Hydrology Bike Tour, providing expertise on environmental justice issues.
• Antenna and Ashé Cultural Arts CentersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to extend 3D-scanning and storytelling workshops for the subterranean convergence project to New Orleans.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• 18th Street Arts Center: Santa Monica-based nonprofit supporting artist residencies and community-engaged exhibitions. Similar scale and operating model—artist commissions, public programs, and grant-funded cultural programming in the LA region.
• The Kitchen: NYC-based nonprofit presenting groundbreaking contemporary art and performance. Comparable as a presenter/commissioner of multidisciplinary work with a community-facing programming model, though operating in a different geography.
• Self Help Graphics & Art: LA-based nonprofit arts organization producing community-centered printmaking, exhibitions, and cultural programming. Comparable as a community-engaged arts nonprofit of similar scale focused on cultural identity and public participation.
• Antenna: New Orleans-based nonprofit arts organization supporting artists and public programming. Directly comparable small-scale arts nonprofit model and an actual Clockshop partner (extending 'subterranean convergence' workshops to New Orleans).
• Armory Center for the Arts: Pasadena-based community arts nonprofit producing exhibitions, artist residencies, and public programs. Closely comparable in mission (community-engaged contemporary art), scale, and LA-area geography, serving similar grant funders and audiences.
• Center for Urban Pedagogy: NYC-based nonprofit using art and design to foster civic participation. Highly comparable model—cofounded by Rosten Woo, the artist behind Clockshop's 'What Water Wants'—and operates through commissioned artist projects tackling urban infrastructure themes.
• LAXART: Los Angeles contemporary art nonprofit supporting experimental exhibitions and public programming. Direct peer in size, geography, and mission around commissioning emerging artists and engaging the public with contemporary work.

Broad incumbents

• Public Art Fund: NYC-based nonprofit presenting temporary and permanent public art across the city. Larger and broader in scope, but directly comparable as a producer of commissioned public artworks on public land and partnership-driven programming.
• MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles): LA-based contemporary art museum offering exhibitions, commissions, and public programming. Operates in the same LA arts ecosystem with overlapping funders and audiences, but at significantly larger scale and institutional footprint.
• Prospect New Orleans: New Orleans-based nonprofit producing a citywide contemporary art triennial with commissioned public artworks. Comparable as a mission-driven nonprofit that commissions artists and partners with cultural and civic institutions, though at a larger episodic scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/clockshopla

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Clockshop