HispanicBusiness

Thanks to Hispanic Heritage Month, grocery store aisles containing the Kleenex brand are about to benefit from an artistic splash of color.

The tissue company is celebrating the honorary month of September -- as well as the following month of October -- with a little flair, showcasing on its boxes mini-murals depicting Hispanic themes by three young Hispanic artists.

The artwork of Chicago's Jaime Maldonado, Miami's Paula Lagioia and New York City's Jessica DelCarpio was selected by votes from a pool of about 600 applicants.

All three artists represent separate regions of Latin America. They were chosen by a group of experts from the Kleenex brand, with the help of online voting by consumers, about 30,000 of whom cast a vote between March and June. In addition to having their art displayed on the upright boxes, each of the three winners received $5,000 cash. Nine finalists also received $500 each.

Mr. Maldonado, of Puerto Rican descent, created a piece titled, "Celebracion" (Celebration), which, in his own words, "expresses the spirit and energetic independence of Latin American countries."

Ms. Lagioia represented her Venezuelan heritage with a piece titled, "Colores Hispanos" (Hispanic Colors), consisting of a radiant array of shapes and colors that abound within the Latin culture.

Finally, Ms. Del Carpio, whose family hails from Peru, submitted a colorful piece -- "Simplemente Hispano" (Simply Hispanic) -- depicting a hard day of work in the fields. "A day of hard labor is also a day of achievement," she said. "Just as we sow our traditions and cultivate our values, we reap the fruit of our efforts and dedications."