Alumnus unveils T-shirt design for Augie’s

Augie’s Coffee House held a jam-packed event Sept. 17, featuring live music and Geoff Gouveia, 2013 California Baptist University alumnus, unveiling a new T-shirt made just for the shop.

The event featured music from My Double, My Brother; Rude’s Dudes; Nicole VanderDussen and Tom Shay.

As a local artist, Gouveia has worked with Augie’s to create the shirt. Gouveia, a Riverside artist and muralist, has been creating art for about nine years since he was a senior in high school. He said he makes art because of the strength the Lord gives him and because art is his talent.

“I feel like the Lord has just given me this ability to persevere,” Gouveia said. “It’s not so much a passion for art, but that I love the individuality of artistic expression. I like the unique voice I am able to create and I feel like that is from the Lord … this is my purpose.”

Gouveia said he enjoys Augie’s and has been wanting to create a T-shirt with the shop for a long time. He pitched the idea of a shirt and an event to Augie’s so he could showcase his art. Now, after three years of having a relationship with the shop, they showcased his design.

“When I pitched them the idea of having the art here I knew I wanted something different,” Gouveia said. “Just showing my work is kind of boring, so I like adding music to it because it draws everyone in.”

Michaela VanSant, sophomore visual arts major, came with friends and said she enjoyed the feel of the music and coffee in one setting.

“I love the feel of coffee and music and people and just having fun all together,” she said. “(It) is encouraging to see an artist who’s really successful and really likes sharing his work with a wide community.”