LA Hispanic Student Wins Opportunity To Have Work Appear In GM Ad Campaign.

Mayor Villaraigosa joined GM and Latino Art Beat to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by Unveiling Winning Artwork and Ad Campaign…General Motors Corp. and Latino Art Beat announced that Jose Rojas, a 2006 graduate of Venice High School, won the national “What Hispanic/Latino Heritage and Culture Mean to Me!” art contest.

As the national winner, Jose takes home a $10,000 scholarship and will have his artwork appear in GM’s Hispanic Heritage Month print advertising during the months of September and October. At a ceremony in Los Angeles, Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa along with Felipe Herrera, GM director of Hispanic sales and marketing, unveiled Jose’s winning artwork and the new GM ad that features the painting entitled, “The Spirit of Sharing.”

“Developing an expression of heritage through art is one of the best ways to show the world Latino culture through different eyes,” Villaraigosa said. “I am thrilled to be honoring the winners of Latino Art Beat, and I hope this encourages future students to explore art as a means to express themselves.”

Jose was one of five students in Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Miami and Washington D.C. who won $3,000 scholarships by taking top place in local competitions organized by Latino Art Beat, a nonprofit organization promoting Hispanic youth involvement in the arts. The five local winners went on to compete for the national top prize.