Diversity & Inclusion
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Diversity & InclusionShare
As Latinx Heritage Month comes to a close, we chatted with our creative and social media departments about local, national, and global Latinx creators, artists, and advertisers who inspire them.
Before we go further, let’s look back at the history of Latinx Heritage Month. In 1968, President Lyndon Johnson commissioned a weeklong celebration to honor the contributions of people of, what was then referred to as, Hispanic descent [read NPR Reporter, Vanessa Romo’s deep dive on the term “Hispanic”]. By 1988, the weeklong celebration was extended to a full month from September 15th through October 15th to coincide with the national independence days of several Latinx countries.
Now, let’s take a look:
Reyna Noriega
Reyna is an Afro-Latino illustrator, visual artist, and educator who uses bright and bold illustration centering women, all while driving inclusion and forward-thinking.
Tom Vasquez
A Brownstein favorite, Tom Vasquez is a Freelance Designer and Creative Director who we’ve worked with before. Tom specializes in branding and identity development, graphic and packaging design, and web and mobile development.
For our Creative Director, Meredith Schwinder, Tom inspires her because of “his beautiful style and sophistication he brings to everything he does.”
Marisa Velázquez-Rivas
Local illustrator, graphic designer, and street artist, Marisa Velázquez-Rivas brings a message of belonging and inclusion to her work as she amplifies underrepresented communities with local organizations and national brands.
You can find her work locally and globally—from #DrawtoAction, a coloring book featuring Philadelphia artists to benefit local organizations in underserved communities, to University City Arts League to Vice, HBO, and more.
Michael Menchaca
From solo exhibitions in the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. to local gallery and studio work, Michael Menchaca is an artist that focuses on printmaking as he explores the history of art and language in Mexican-American culture.
Image credit: Michael Palma Mir courtesy of El Museo Del Barrio
Ruby Marquez
LGBTQ+ identified Chicanx collage artist and photographer, Marquez (or Broobs as the world knows them) pulls from their inspiration of nature to create rich imagery that is revolutionizing the Internet and bringing visibility to queer artists and activists. Check out their shop and support his work.
Camila Rosa
Camila Rosa is a Brazilian street artist and illustrator hailing from São Paulo, Brazil. Active for more than a decade, her global work spans across a variety of spectrums, including advertising, editorial, fashion design, graphic work, and both commercial and personal street art.
Creative Designer Matt Rondos gains inspiration from Camila’s work. “I really admire her use of color and the way she creates portraits with so much personality but with minimal shapes and elements. It is killer and the messaging in her work is also great.”
Honorable mentions: