By: Ashmar Mandou
Photo Credit: Maryland Institute of College of Art (MICA)

For 20 years, Latino Art Beat has recognized the artistic talents of countless students by providing annual youth art competition in the form of painting, drawing, film, and animation. To date, Latino Art Beat has awarded $4 million in academic scholarships to students in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami and the District of Columbia. However, to commemorate its 20th anniversary, Latino Art Beat Founder and President Don Rossi Nuccio decided to expand the organization’s reach by developing an unprecedented partnership with the Cuban Ministry of Cultural Affairs and the Casas de Cultura in Havana in 2016 during a trip to Cuba as a guest of then President Barrack Obama and the White House. “I saw it as an unequivocal opportunity to showcase the talent and passion of Cuban youth. My first experience in Cuba is one that I will never forget because it served as a pivotal moment in Latino Art Beat’s history to represent the similarities of the youth in the United States and in Cuba in regards to talent, intelligence, and love for their respective country and fellow man.”

This summer, the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) welcomed two Cuban teenagers, Luis Felipe Betancourt, 17 and Favio Felipe Gonzalez, 16 to participate in MICA’s annual month-long Pre-College Studio Residency Program. “This milestone initiative is a significant step in bridging the cultural divides between Cuba and the U.S. By welcoming the two Cuban students to MICA, they will create new bonds with similar artists, as well as learn the latest techniques and technology in art and film to bring back home,” said Nuccio, who held an art competition earlier in Havana that selected Betancourt and Gonzalez as the winners. The Cuban youth art competition was centered on the theme “Friendship between the Youth of the United States and Cuba,” and Betancourt’s and Gonzalez’s work represented a desire for greater cultural understanding between the youth of both nations while celebrating their cultural heritage. The partnership marks the first national education initiative between the United States and Cuba, in which an American arts organization was able to partner with the Cuban government’s Ministry of Culture to offer an art competition to Cuban students with the reward of a scholarship to MICA’s Pre-College program. “For over 15 years, MICA has worked with Latino Art Beat to provide scholarship programs for Latino art students in the U.S. With this new, one-of-a-kind program, we are proud to expand our partnership with LAB to support young Cuban artists with the hope of fostering friendship and understanding between our countries,” said Theresa Bedoya, MICA’s dean and vice president, admission and financial aid.

As for Betancourt and Gonzalez, the trip proved to be one of a lifetime. “Latino Art Beat is an organization that has opened up a road of immense possibilities because I never would have imagined that I would be in a place and gain experience in a university like, Maryland Institute College of Art without them,” said Betancourt. “In my experience, I would recommended this program to my fellow classmates in Cuba because you learn so much about art, about friendship, and about yourself. Through this program you are able to better yourself as an artist, as a human being.” Gonzalez echoed a similar sentiment, “My experience with Latino Art Beat has been a wonderful one where I learned a new way of learning, of thinking, a newfound sense of confidence. It was a splendid experience and I am very proud to have been a part of it and I encourage other students to get involved.” If you would like to learn more about the program, visit www.latinoartbeat.com.