Denver tattoo artist and Colorado native, Nate Stephens, repositioned his drawing and sketching talents during COVID-19. Known for his bold use of pigment, attention to detail and intricate designs, Stephens is the definition of a true creator. Instead of focusing his talents on skin, he repurposed his tattoo talent into t-shirt design to provide for his family and support Colorado residents all the while donating profits to local and statewide charities.
As an artist at Marion Street Tattoo, Stephens stopped servicing clients in early March. From there, he began designing t-shirts for sale, and focused on paying homage to frontline workers, children in hospitals and restaurant workers. “I decided to approach the t shirt designs using COVID-19 as my subject matter in an attempt to capture the current mood of the world,” Stephens said. Following the sale of his frontline and children’s designs, Stephens donated 20% of total sales to the Denver Heath Foundation COVID19 Urgent Relief Fund and the Children’s Hospital of Colorado. “To date we’ve raised $4,124 for the Denver Health Foundation and sold 650 Frontline Warrior T Shirts.”
Now, Stephen’s newest t-shirt design represents restaurant workers where 20% of total sales will go towards the Colorado Restaurant Foundation’s Angel Relief Fund. “As the COVID-19 Pandemic continues to stretch longer and longer into springtime, it’s become ever more apparent that restaurant workers across the globe will be feeling the economic pinch for many weeks, or months, to come,” Stephens noted. “Restaurants and food service are the fabric of America’s economy and we need to help as much as we can as they continue to feel the brunt of this economic storm.”
To purchase a shirt from Stephens, visit here.
Photos provided by Nate Stephens.