Catch 'Art Jordan's' artwork on ESPN

SANDUSKY — When a popular program — garnering about 2 million viewers for its weekly episodes — airs this weekend, it'll debut new artwork of a man with local ties. Marketing employees for ESPN's "College GameDay" selected Jordan Evans, who goes by "Art Jordan" in the arts industry, to create visuals for its national broadcasts all season long. Starting Saturday, then for 15 consecutive weeks, viewers can tune in between 9 a.m. and noon to watch "College GameDay," which will heavily spotlight Evans' pieces. "I will be displaying my art through a popular 1980s vintage caricature style that will feature the hosts of the 'College GameDay' crew: Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, David Pollack and Rece Davis," said Evans, a 2008 Sandusky High School graduate. Formerly living in Sandusky, he now resides in Cleveland but plans on relocating to Atlanta, Georgia, soon. Additionally, Evans designed 7,500 T-shirts fashioning his illustrations. ESPN employees intend on giving out 500 each week when "College GameDay" visits a different campus ahead of a big matchup. Several thousand people typically show up at each site to watch the live show. For instance, on Saturday, the crew will televise its program from Columbus to hype up an early season showdown between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Notre Dame Fighting Irish. And some in attendance will be able to grab and wear one of Evans' special shirts. To describe Evans as excited would be an understatement. "This is one of the biggest breakthroughs in the industry for me, and I'm so grateful for it," said Evans, who's focused on his art career for about a decade now. Evans considers himself a longtime fan of college football, and he said working with "College GameDay" represents an opportunity of a lifetime. "Growing up, me and my brother (Jalen Gordon) used to stay up all day and night playing 'NCAA Football' on PlayStation 2, so it's definitely a surreal moment to be working with ESPN and the guys on a project," Evans said. "I put in so much work for this moment. I'm so deserving of it. God definitely blessed me." Persevering through tough times Many people who specialize in the arts and entertainment industry have experienced some challenges brought on, either directly or indirectly, by factors related to COVID-19. Count Evans in this group of creators who mightily struggled. "The last three years have been a roller coaster," Evans said. "A lot of losses, and certain situations I thought were going to happen never came through. During these times, I went completely broke pursuing this. When I tell you the well dried up, it really did." Evans credited his family — specifically his mother, Hope English; his father, James Gordon; his business partner, Tim Lewis; and others he trusts in his inner circle — for their unyielding encouragement, which helped him triumph through these tough times. "I have a strong support system," Evans said. "Without them, I would have given up a long time ago." Earlier this year, when those representing ESPN called up Evans, signing him to a creative vendor contract, that conversation rejuvenated him in both the professional and personal senses. "I have put my heart into this, so when these types of opportunities happen, figuring out a way to keep the momentum going is the most important part of my career," he said. What's next? Before the big break with ESPN, Evans engaged in a lot of freelance work for businesses nationwide. "One big project I was a part of was helping brand the first HBCU (historically Black colleges and universities) elementary school in Jacksonville, Florida, called 'Becoming Academy.'" Becoming opened its doors to students earlier this month. "My role with that was creating the logo, the uniforms, flyers, posters and the mascot and pretty much giving the school the overall vibe the kids will experience while attending the school from the look aspect," Evans said. Among some other projects, Evans: • Collaborated with the Calais Campbell Foundation on artwork for his nonprofit; Campbell is a standout NFL defensive lineman who plays for the Baltimore Ravens. His foundation specializes in helping people reach their full potential through mentorship, education and providing resources. • Authored his first children's book, titled "Hoggie's World," based on a cartoon character of himself as a kid learning about life, business and art; "The first book is already written out, and we're just finishing up the illustrations now for it," Evans said. • Launched a podcast named "Duality Check" • Started a YouTube channel called "Art Jordan"; It's also the brand for his artwork, previously known as EZTaughtMe. "The new name is more clean cut, and I feel like I'm making art that represents me the most," Evans said. Sandusky proud Evans never shies away from telling people he's from Sandusky. It often gets brought up during meetings he's conducting with those about potential art and/or business ventures. "When I do have conversations with new people, customers and supporters, I always make it a known where I'm from," he said. "It's a low-key big flex because I can say I am from a small city that's hard to make it out of, but you never really make it out. You just carry that name with you so you can bring light to others who are also doing great things from their hometown like me with Sandusky." Sandusky city commissioner Blake Harris beamed with pride when talking about Evans, who's also his cousin. "Jordan has always made it a point to represent his city through his art," Harris said. "One of the many ways he has accomplished this is by paying homage and creating unique portraits of the likes of Orlando Pace, El Da' Sheon Nix and many others." Harris also noted Evans "took advantage of every opportunity to showcase his art locally." This would include creating Black history artwork for Sandusky Transit bus stops and recently submitting pieces for an upcoming citywide mural program. "His accomplishments in the art world should not only continue to be highlighted but also celebrated, and I'm proud to call him a friend, family and a Sandusky legend because what he's doing is legendary," Harris said. No matter if people see his work on "College GameDay" or elsewhere, Evans hopes people — and especially locals — can take away one message in particular. "Whenever you do see my art on big platforms, it's not just for me: It's for those who've been supporting and helping from the beginning," he said. "I don't feel like I made it yet. I still have a lot of work to do, so for anyone reading this, I hope this inspired you to get that dream, business plan or idea off the ground. It's worth it."