Black-owned Rochester tattoo shop gives 10% of its revenue to charity
Adrien Moses Clark is working to expand his footprint in the Rochester tattoo scene. His Black-owned tattoo shop, Axe of Kindness, has an interesting business model: 10% of its gross revenue is donated to charity.
Clark has brought in two other tattooers and this year went to the ROC City Tattoo Expo for the first time as AOK. His work and his reputation stand out even in a crowded Rochester business sector (every neighborhood has multiple tattoo shops). His studio is at 258 Alexander St.
"AOK was born of a love of tattooing and the immense desire to answer a call from within to do more for the underprivileged, underserved, and all of those in need of help in our community," he wrote on the shop's site.
Clark, 41, can draw in multiple styles but focuses on "mandalas, geometric work; styles rooted in traditional Japanese and traditional American tattooing, line work intensive and illustrative work."
Bridget Martin, director of development at Bivona Child Advocacy Center in Rochester, said working with Clark has been wonderful. If more businesses in Rochester were on a mission to help locally, like Axe of Kindness, it would transform the situation for centers like Bivona, she said.
"He is amazing," she said. "Adrien is an incredible supporter, because he truly understands our mission. Not only does he provide financial support, he uses his voice to inform others of the work we do. ... We could not ask for a better partner.
"This community is lucky to have him in it."
Why Axe of Kindness wants to make a difference in Rochester
Colby June, from Ithaca, and Alice Bliss, from Indiana, also work out of AOK. They were working on excited customers recently at the Rochester tattoo expo, inking detailed designs with care.
AOK added the other tattoers to its roster a little earlier than what might have been sketched in its rough business plan, but it was a great fit. And Clark said it slides into his longer-term plan for the shop.
"I knew eventually I would want to grow, but the plan initially was that it would just be me until I figure out whether or not I can keep the thing running before bringing somebody else in," Clark said. "You know I wanted to make sure that I can keep it running on my own and then bring other people in because I feel responsible for them to an extent as well."
He's making it so far, with a good client list and happy reviews. The one-year mark was huge for his shop.
Clark started the business with money he'd squirreled away and some credit lines. The shop is neat and trim, with sophisticated decor. There's room for multiple tattoers to work and a sitting area for clients.
They try to stand out in what is a saturated market in Rochester — lots of artists who struck out on their own and lots of customers who came out of the COVID era with some extra money to spend.
Where does he get most of his new customers?
More: I got a Rochester solar eclipse tattoo. Was it a good idea?
Helping Rochester through a different kind of tattoo shop
These are some of the groups that AOK supports with its efforts:
Urban League of Rochester
NAACP
Willow Domestic Violence Center
March of Dimes
Bivona Child Advocacy Center
Save the Children
Planned Parenthood
Out Alliance
William Ramsey is an editor at the Democrat and Chronicle.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Black-owned Rochester tattoo shop gives 10% of its revenue to charity
