Latino Art Beat is a Chicago based not for profit arts organization that celebrates the artistic talents of young visual artists and filmmakers. Don Rossi Nuccio, its President and co-founder has diligently and passionately headed Latino Art Beat now for 26 consecutive years. It operates in major cities around the United States in collaboration with the local Department of Education and the Mayor’s Office who together present its themed art competition to young high school juniors and seniors to which it awards its winners with college scholarships. To date over $6 million has been awarded to these young artists and filmmakers.
Latino Art Beat has expanded its outreach to filmmakers in the United Kingdom and in 2017 introduced its milestone arts initiative to young aspiring artists in the Republic of Cuba. Don as part of the President Obama’s historic White House trip to Cuba when he introduced a themed art competition titled “Friendship between the Youth of the United States and Cuba.” This initiative which compliments Obamas’ “People to People Exchanges” has been very successful in inspiring young Cuban artists to portray their thoughts of friendship between the youth of both countries via the visual arts. This program is truly a humanitarian outreach and has successfully motivated students in both sovereign nations to reach out in a hand of friendship through their artistic talents. In the early days of the Cuba Latino Art Beat initiative the Cuban student winners of this milestone competition were invited to study advanced summer art courses here in the United States. Don was assisted in those early days by consultants Charlie Serrano and Katty Enriquez Mayo. Currently Latino Art Beat awards/donates the Cuban student winners and honorable mentions with much needed hard to source art supplies and materials.
Each year one the Cuban student winner’s is appointed as “Latino Art Beat’s Youth Ambassador in Cuba” who assists spread the good news of this worthwhile initiative. This year’s Ambassador is Delianis de la Caridad Morales Vazquez who is the 1st Place art competition winner. Past Ambassadors are still very active in promoting the goodwill of this competition.
Latino Art Beat works in collaboration with the Cuban Ministry of Culture and Casas de Cultura who diligently work together with this amazing outreach. Cuba Latino Art Beat student winning artwork shall go on live display later this year, at prominent exhibits in both Washington, D.C. and in Chicago.
Although political relations between Washington and Havana are strained, this humanitarian outreach is important in keeping the dream of encouraging a better understanding between the youth of both countries thru their artistic talents. Afterall today’s youth are tomorrows leaders! As one of this year’s Cuban student competition winners, Ronald Romero Caboverde says: “The warm palette and the ascending composition reinforce my conviction: when cultural exchange ceases to be an exception and becomes a method, even the sun of Havana and the fog of New York can choreograph the same. The path I trace is not a straight line, but an organic bridge woven with everyday gestures, a chord shared by young people from both sides of the strait. As an artist I call for the consolidation of the friendship between the youth of Cuba and the United States.”
For more information on Latino Art Beat and its various art competitions and scholarship initiatives please email for more information: latinoartbeat@hotmail.com
