Latino Art Beat Partners With Southwest Airlines, Nordstrom’s To Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Yay?
16 September 2008, 12:00 PM. By Carlos Posas
Here’s an example of a good idea gone wrong: Latino Art Beat is a Chicago based not-for-profit arts organization that awards scholarships to high school students through its arts competition. Then it teamed up with big companies like Nordstorm’s and Southwest and it all went to desperate PR-ploy hell.
The good part about this partnering, for Latino Art Beat, is that their students’ art gets shown at major venues like national airports and Nordstrom’s windows, and the not-for-profit gets support and exposure through their partner companies. The downside is that a lot of incredible art gets co-opted and made into a “yay, diversity” PR stunt. Southwest Airlines published this statement:
Local Employees kick off the festivities by partnering with local organizations, and at airports, with gate games, Mariachi music, authentic foods, and distributing commemorative T-shirts and lapel pins emblazoned with our Hispanic Heritage Month message “Celebremos Tu Herencia,” “We Celebrate Your Heritage.”
Finally, be on the lookout for Southwest’s Hispanic Heritage Month specialty packaged peanuts!
Mariachi bands and heritage-peanuts, eh? Stop, we’re getting teary.
During Hispanic Heritage Month, the airline changes its peanut packaging to highlight its commitment to the Hispanic community with the message “Celebremos Tu Herencia” (We Celebrate Your Heritage With You).
The actual heritage peanuts, in the actual Southwest factory. Does it smell like culture in here?
And for when you tire of gorging on peanuts; Some actual past prize-winning artwork:
By Salim Cortes
By Sarah Condo
By Leonardo Casteneda
By Cathryn Garcia-Menocal
It’s awesome that these young artists are getting exposure, but it’d be nice if they could do it without a corporate leech on their culture-teat.
Southwest Airlines and Latino Art Beat Partner to Honor Hispanic Heritage Month [Hispanic Business]
Nordstrom Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month With Latino Art Beat Exhibit [Hispanic Business]
Aw, Nuts! [Blog Southwest]
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Rich people basking in the reflected glory of good art. What is this world coming to?
Great post, and I couldn’t agree more.
As a Mexican-American artist, I go through this every year. Now I’ve learned to make the most of it and add those connections to my year-round efforts.
Last year, I got a call from a LARGE discount department store (bull’s eye) wanting to carry my bracelets and necklaces in their online shop. Of course, I flipped, I was so excited! Then when they came out, I realized the whole promotion was for HHM. Normally, I sell my jewelry all year round at all kinds of stores, so it was a bit weird in a “they only want me for my skin color?” kind of way. So you know what i did? I pimped out the sale to everyone from all different races and background through my blog and web sites. They sold out in the first week and they ended up reordering for a whole year - no special promos attached!
My advice to these young artists is to take the opp, work it like Tyra would, make it their own and do their best to expand on it so they will get work all year long!!
Peace, love, and glitter,
Kathy :-)
@ Crafty Chica: I heart you!
I love the last one by Catherine Garcia-Menocal
for the peanuts they should have changed it to the spicy ones..that are the bomb(did i just say that) with lemon.
Dear Guanabee:
Many thanks for publishing our student winning artwork. One correction though, the artwork you have credited to SALIM CORTES (Miami student) actually was created by JOSE ROJAS (Los Angeles student) our 2005 Latino Art Beat National winner, who is presently attending college on a Latino Art Beat scholarship award (supplied in part by General Motors!!!)
Your comments on a “good idea” gone wrong actually needs some clarification.
As the national President of Latino Art Beat, I can clearly state that we struggle to exist in order to be able to make a difference within our Latino communities. We have operated now for nearly 12 years as a not-for profit and an ALL VOLUNTEER organization. No one draws a salary at Latino Art Beat not even me, its President. We do it for for these talented young artists. The national venues which we have through city and corporate partnerships make it possible for the general public to recognize the talents which exists within our great Latino communities. If it were not for Southwest Airlines, Nordstrom and other past and present partners, especially the many, many academic institutions and colleges which support our program with SCHOLARSHIP dollars for these talented aspiring artists…..we would not be able to exist and more importantly many of these aspiring artists might not have ever made it to college. Our track record with college graduation of students to whom we have awarded scholarships is phenomenal. We were recognized this year by the US Department of Education and also the White House Initiative on Excellence in Hispanic Learning for our efforts within the Latino community.
Articles like yours that react negatively to private corporations that are SUPPORTING this incredible national initiative could be harmful to the continuity and expansion of programs like ours. I would ask you to reexamine your analysis and hopefully you could then consider encouraging community, corporate and government support of our program and recognize and appreciate that these artists are getting a national forum in which their artwork is recognized.
Saludos,
Don Rossi Nuccio, President
LATINO ART BEAT, INC.
My name is Salim Cortes and I participated in the Latino Art Beat Competition in 2005. I was the 1st place winner in Miami, Fl for a piece I entered called “Mi Pueblo.” I just feel offended that my name was included in the article as a past prize winner but they used the wrong artwork. The least that could have been done was
check that the names and the artwork matches. We as artist define ourself through our work, and without that we’re none existent. I’m also pretty sure that the original artist doesn’t like me taking credit for his work. I find this very disappointing. He put his heart and soul in this piece, just to have my name attached to it.
Salim Cortes