Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Annual "Noche de Exitos Gala" Campaigns, 2011-14

Remnants of my brief waltz with commercial entrepreneurship.
Becoming self-employed late in life was not at all what I had planned, but when faced with reality, I threw myself into it.  It turned into a grand adventure that came with steep learning curves and great personal cost, but with many joys and community experiences along the way. What a ride.
And I came out wiser, bearing witness to the upper echelons of the bi-national business community and political influences in elections.  Una mano lava la otra.  Still,  I am proud of the boundless capability I discovered I had to smoothly, expedite bilingual, multilevel community-wide campaigns that grew exponentially year after year.  
These annual award events were the Chamber's largest, and growing the organization revolved around them-- both in Metro Tucson and bi-nationally.  The campaigns included promotional postcards, sponsorship invitation packets, VIP invitation letters, newspaper and magazine ads, and a 40-60 page program booklet. Up-to-the-last-minute ads for the program booklet made for hair-raising work under pressure.   The Executive Director was cool as a cucumber, and we made a great team, I have to say.  We also generated the PowerPoint that provided the backdrop to the Awards Presentation. ​The events themselves took place in a very large venue, usually Casino del Sol's ballroom. They required tons of large signage and had tons of cultural sparkle and pageantry, mariachi music (of course!), cocktails, and a silent auction. There were large signs honoring each awardee placed around the lobby.  There was an admissions table (more signage), and table tent signs for the dining room.  Our event coordinator was nothing short of a miracle worker!  We worked hand-in-glove for months every year, and it was a true joy.
~ The best part was the tequila toast after dinner, the live band, and dance 'till you drop! ~

Picture
Casino del Sol, at my display table in the lobby.
My 4
Yes, I danced in 4" spikes. Great fun... Haven't worn them since.
Lety and Linda
Good times with Leticia Ortiz! (Nuestra Hora con Lety)
THCC logo papel picados
for banner insignia.

Program 2012

 (Flip-site only allows 30 free pages - boo) ​

Ad Posters

Arizona Star / La Estrella

El Imparcial, MX

By 2014, the Chamber had developed strong cross-border business relationships and had an office in Hermosillo.
​More communication was being directed towards a Mexican audience.

Clear Channel Billboards

My first billboard in real life. Yup, it happened.

Ad Vision Bus Stop Panels

I spotted this panel driving by. I was pleased to see they presented well. A win/win for everybody.

 Home | Traditions | Barrios  | People  | Folklore  | Border  | Graphics ​|​ Codex
*  La Corúa  was a large water serpent that lived in springs of water and protected them. They say it had a cross on its forehead and cleaned the veins of water with its long fangs or tusks. It was a shy creature but could sometimes be caught sunning on the rocks of the spring.  According to Sonoran folk beliefs, if one killed the Corúa, the spring would dry up.  Vanishing water sources and  economic pressures have pushed the folklore of La Corúa  to the dustbin of history on both sides of the border, but La Corúa remains in the minds and memories of elders in the Pimería Alta.

Serpents have been sacred for millennia to indigenous peoples throughout the Americas and are respected as guardians of water sources and bringers of rain.

* Beliefs and Holy Places - A Spiritual Geography of the Pimeria Alta  -  James S. Griffith, University of Arizona Press, 1992

Background painting:  Baboquivari Peak - the monolith landmark defining the Baboquivari mountains southwest of Tucson. The center of Tohono O'odham cosmology, it is sacred and is the home of I'itoi, their Creator and Elder Brother. The peak is visible from Casa Grande in the northwest, south into Mexico.  (I'itoi is also the figure in the O'odham 'Man in the Maze' basket design.)
© La Corua Digital Art | All rights reserved 2022 |