Building Community Through Latino Arts and Cultural Education in Milwaukee

Jacobo Lovo has been affiliated with the United Community Center on Milwaukee’s south side for 20 years, 16 years as an arts educator at Bruce Guadalupe Community School and the last four years leading Latino Arts, Inc.

As the Managing Artistic Director of Latino Arts, Jacobo advocates for the arts through collaborations with other arts organizations and developing community focused educational and cultural programming.

Lovo believes in the positive impact the arts have on our quality of life and strongly believes the arts play a crucial role in strengthening Milwaukee's economic vitality and competitiveness in developing and attracting talent locally, nationally and internationally.

Lovo was one of the guests on “Milwaukee Made.” The following Q&A is from his chat with show host David Caruso.

Q: When you were a kid, what do you remember most about growing up in this area?

Lovo: “Something that stands out is my first snowfall. It was quite literally like the sky has fallen scenario. I've never experienced snow, so I remember looking up and I was like, ‘what is going on?’ And then I remember, oh, there's such a thing called snow. But then just getting to know people in the community, understanding what the Latino community is about and what makes it up and the diversity that exists within it is something that always stays with me.”

Q: How important is it for the city of Milwaukee to have schools, such as Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, and opportunities, especially related to art for people like you?

Lovo: “I think it's critical because if we go within the school setting, there's going to be students who gravitate towards the arts and they need that outlet. There's going to be students who are academically gifted, but then also those that need the artistic outlet and that's what drives them and continues to bring them back to school. And then we know that there's so many jobs in the arts world that are vital for the economy. We know that the arts aren't just who gets to be in front of the camera or who gets to be on stage or who gets to exhibit. There are so many different types of arts and we want to make sure that those are available for especially young people in our community to be exposed to. From my perspective, I am privileged to have an opportunity to expose Latino kids to those jobs and to that world. And that's something that I take with a great sense of responsibility.”

Q: What are maybe a few pieces of advice that you would give to especially younger Hispanic kids? What does it mean to you to know that you are now a role model for younger kids?

Lovo: “I would definitely say that work hard, be respectful of opportunities given to you. Don't expect them, but the harder you work, the more opportunities will present. Having that mentality of respect and empathy, always put yourself in somebody else's shoes and understand that everybody's going through a process of their own, I think is something very important. But also make sure that people respect you, stand your ground and make sure that they know that you are an individual that merits that respect, so therefore you have to carry yourself with a certain amount of respect.

“When you have parents bringing students to your classroom, and that's a responsibility that I never took lightly. That's why I always had an open doors policy in my classroom that makes sure that students are learning about the art world from multiple sources, not just me. So that's something that I consider a huge privilege, and that's something that I rely on my community to continue to support me on that because I can be a role model to a certain extent, but I want to invite the community to be a part of that. This is something that we do together and that's ultimately what it is, is a privilege.”

Q: What ultimately made you decide that Milwaukee is the place for you to live and work?

Lovo: “It's the right size for me. I think I've been very fortunate that I've had a chance to travel all over the United States, visit many, many places. But I think Milwaukee just has a very charming quality that it feels like home. I came here very young and I'm very blessed that my immediate family's here. So it definitely feels like home and I think the potential, the amount of challenges are not lost on me, but I think the potential to have a positive impact and the relationships that I've built from friends and professional relationships, I see the opportunities are there for us to do something really wonderful.”

Q: What are some of your biggest aspirations moving forward?

Lovo: “I think the work that I get to do is a privilege. I want our organization to be able to grow. It's my biggest aspiration. What that looks like is continuing to bring schools from all over southeastern Wisconsin, all over Wisconsin in general and northern Illinois, to come and see the Latino community through the best possible way, which is the cultural arts. And for them to develop a sense of empathy that they see themselves as part of this community, that they see themselves in some of these traditions. Because something that I always share with students when they come here is that I invite them to get to know their own personal heritage, whether they're Hispanic or not. The more you know about your culture heritage, the more you will find in common with others, and therefore they will see themselves as equals. And so my biggest aspiration is to build empathy in our community.”