Nate Evans had no idea his artwork would be featured on ESPN in an episode of The Kingdom. The docuseries follows the Chiefs through their 2024 season as they attempt to win their third consecutive Superbowl victory.
“My phone was blowing up,” Evans says. “People were telling me that someone in the show was wearing my artwork. I was like, ‘What are you talking about?’ And so I had to go on there to look to make sure.” On the show, a woman named Tammy is interviewed while wearing a colorful jacket and carrying a Chiefs-themed purse, both of which Evans made.
What began as traditional artwork for Evans has since evolved into a clothing line. The style is iconic, mashing up images, people and locations into a uniform, anthemic collage. His pieces range from collections of Kansas City locations to singular themes of athletes and popstars. They look like movie posters advertising the most dramatic, high-budget adaptation of life in the City of Fountains.
Six years ago, Evans started selling his pieces in the River Market and quickly developed a relationship with the people he met. “I don’t sell what I want,” he says. “I sell what Kansas City is asking for.” It started during Covid, when Evans tried to make mask-wearing more fun with his custom designs. “From there it branched into, ‘Could you make a purse? Could you make a shirt?’”
This past year, Evans has been working on his clothing line, Welcome to KC. His licensed and original clothing designs are now available at nateevansart.com. His goal is to get the brand distributed at popular area retailers like Made in KC, Rally House and Hallmark to start. However, regardless of how successful his clothing line is becoming, Evan’s passion is, and has always been, his music.
“I am a professional recording artist,” says Evans, who is still making records and working on music. “I’ve been doing music for about 20 years.” In addition to a run on American Idol, Evans’ music and art was also featured in a film.
“I was fortunate enough to have my music and artwork featured in a movie called Condition of Return about a year ago,” Evans says. “I got to go to the red carpet premiere in Hollywood, which was amazing.” Available on Amazon Prime and Tubi, the movie features Evans’ song “Murder Mystery” during a three-minute party scene. Additionally, his artwork is prominently featured in shots throughout the film.
What’s next for Evans? Truly, he wants to get his clothing line into Taylor Swift’s hands—and play a halftime show at Arrowhead Stadium. “My ultimate dream is opening up for a major artist at the Sprint Center, like Taylor Swift,” Evans says. “I believe the one thing Kansas City is missing is a pop artist.”
Evans’ artwork can be viewed at nateevansart.com, and his music streams on Apple Music and Spotify.
