He had achieved much of what he had dreamed. He recalled early mentors like the legendary advertising designer Bill Tara, who directed a pilot program for the gifted at Chouinard, and Jesse Guiterrez, a painter, who was one of the instructors in the program. Evans realized that many of the older black artists in the city who had sponsored young talent, and men like Cecil Ferguson, a former Los Angeles County Art Museum curator, were now less active.
Art is a way to survive.
Evans concentrates on teaching fundamentals and strong conceptual skills in ways that involve the entire spectrum of values and attitudes of his students to promote their overall personal development. A native of South Central L.A., Evans began canvassing high schools in the area, looking for young artists who could attend Saturday workshops, serve as apprentices and undertake commissions. The team's current 12 members, ages 15 to 24, some of whom are ex-gang members, are drawn from across the city. Some were born in Belize, Mexico, El Salvador and Guatemala and are refugees from political upheaval. In the first days of the Art Team's existence, Evans paraded his young artists around the neighborhood guaranteeing they would be seen by local gang members.