BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT:

COSTA MESA — Brett Walker is doing his part to make sure Costa Mesa’s moniker, the City of the Arts, is genuine.

About two months ago, Walker opened eVocal, a retail shop, live music venue and art studio all rolled into one.

His purpose? To bring together local artists, give them an opportunity to build their own brand and slap their one-of-a-kind pieces of art on T-shirts and hats.

“It’s a chance for the artist to create a brand for themselves,” said Walker, standing in his West 19th Street store where the walls are adorned with art, shirts and jewelry. “We are able to be the launch platform and the artists will be able to do what they do best: create.”

Walker and the other founding artists wanted to provide a venue for artists who did not want to become part of a faceless apparel corporation.

“We’re trying to create an alternative to the current industry standard,” Walker said.

The artists get to work together and promote each other’s work, something they find helps in their creative process.

“The idea of bringing all these artists together and collaborating with designs — it’s a great cause,” said Sheva Schuck, a jewelry designer who works at the store. “It’s definitely inspiring being around all these creative people.”

The company is an offshoot of Walker’s freelance design studio, Diverse Production Co., which he opened about five years ago. The studio, which is just blocks away from the eVocal store, is where the featured artist’s work is made into works of art on clothes.

Walker once worked in a cubicle designing board shorts for a surf apparel company and the South Africa native couldn’t get his head around why he wasn’t more involved with the whole process, from design to manufacturing.

It was this that made him branch off on his own, and he’s never looked back.

The eVocal moniker stands for, “voice of creative arts lifestyle,” and that’s just what they want to become. Walker and a group of 30 audio and visual artists banded together and decide what community artists they want to feature.

An artist submits work, and if the group decides they like it, a test run will be made with a few T-shirts. Depending on the public’s response, that artist can then become a featured artist with their work hanging on the wall and their apparel hanging from the racks.

Each featured artist creates a limited-edition line that will cost the customer more per piece. There are one-of-a-kind, five-of-a-kind, 10-of-a-kind and 15-of-a-kind, as well as lesser expensive shirts that aren’t as unique.

The store also holds workshops to educate and engage the community in its mission. Every other Thursday, Walker holds an open-mic night for singers, poets and the like to share their work.

The store is also trying to get kids into art with workshops from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturdays and private lessons available, both in music and in art. The featured and founding artists provide their time and service and the lessons become another source of income for the shop.

“It’s the first thing removed from schools, it’s dying,” Walker said of art and music. “It’s a matter of mobilizing and connecting the arts with the public.”

Walker also is working with Newport Harbor High School in its first “trash can campaign.” Artists and students have painted trash cans on the campus. It helps promote art and recycling and dissuades litterers.

The main aspect Walker stressed about the store was the feeling of community. All the artists live in the area and he has worked with the city to ensure this feeling of community is extended throughout Costa Mesa.

For more information, call (949) 642-4548 or (949) 574-1735. The store is at 814 West 19th St. Online it’s at www.evocal.com.