Michiana Students Win McDonald's Hispanic Heritage Month Art Contest

Two Michiana high school students have seen their original artwork installed as murals inside area fast-food locations as part of a widespread cultural initiative.

The installations stem directly from McDonald’s Celebration of Culture and Community initiative, launched to coincide with Hispanic Heritage Month. At John Adams High School in South Bend, Indiana, twenty students submitted original drawings for consideration in the corporate-sponsored art contest, WNDU reported.

Mateo Pacheco-Aguilar, a ceramics student at John Adams, entered the competition weeks prior without anticipating a win. “It’s unbelievable because I mostly did it not really trying to gain anything from it,” Pacheco-Aguilar told WNDU. “Now that I have, I don’t know, it feels good knowing something so little can do something so big.”

Michiana high school student’s art becomes mural at McDonald’s

From Classroom Sketch to Five-Foot Mural

Pacheco-Aguilar’s winning design was scaled up into a five-foot mural, which was displayed on a Tuesday at the Miami Street McDonald’s location in South Bend.

The recognition carried tangible financial support for both the student artist and his educational institution. Pacheco-Aguilar was awarded a $1,000 cash prize, while the John Adams High School Art Department received a direct check for $500 to fund ongoing classroom needs.

Amanda Zablocki, an art teacher at John Adams High School, explained how the financial contribution will directly impact students. “We want to have our kids have the best opportunity possible with the best supplies. So, that’s really going to help us get some nicer supplies,” Zablocki told WNDU. “We can bring some stuff in for them to use. It will go right back to the students for them to be able to use on their projects.”

Goshen Student Wins Art Competition

A second Michiana student, hailing from Goshen High School, also secured a win in the competition, with their artwork scheduled for a formal public unveiling on Wednesday.

James Negre, owner and operator of the Miami Street McDonald’s in South Bend, emphasized the community-building intent behind hosting the installations during Hispanic Heritage Month. “As a Hispanic, art is so important to our community,” Negre told WNDU. “This is a program that’s actually been national now. And we’re just very glad to participate and bring out the Hispanic culture to the rest of the community and help forge some unity and some shared experience between the two.”

Both student art projects are slated to remain on public display at their respective locations throughout the coming month.