SEATTLE, Aug. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Nordstrom is partnering with Latino Art Beat, a Chicago-based not-for-profit arts organization, to feature art from their "What Hispanic Heritage & Culture Means to Me" competition at Nordstrom stores and online at Nordstrom.com.

High school juniors and seniors from Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami and Washington D.C. were invited to submit a drawing or painting for the 2008 fine-arts competition that interprets what Hispanic heritage means to them. Winning artwork will be showcased in window displays at select Nordstrom stores during Hispanic Heritage Month, from September 15 to October 15, and will also be available for online viewing on the Nordstrom e-gallery at http://www.nordstrom.com/hispanicheritagemonth.com.

"We are delighted to partner with Latino Art Beat and celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with an organization that recognizes the importance of furthering the value of arts education and culture within our communities," said Amelia Ransom Letcher, vice president of Diversity Affairs for Nordstrom. "We are excited to share the winning artwork with our customers by featuring the pieces from these five talented individuals."

"Children are our future and the collaboration between Latino Art Beat and Nordstrom, supplemented by the on-going support of all our sponsors, academic partners and friends, will help make a difference," said Don Rossi Nuccio, president and co-founder of Latino Art Beat. "We will help shape tomorrow's future today by offering alternatives to our young people; encouraging higher learning and better preparing them for future job opportunities. By profiling these talented young aspiring artists through Nordstrom, we are not only celebrating Heritage, but encouraging their future success."

Latino Art Beat has selected one winner from each market and one national winner, each receiving a scholarship to the college of their choice. Nordstrom will give each regional first-place winner a $1,000 cash prize and make a $20,000 donation to Latino Art Beat to help in their mission to "Celebrate Youth, Art and Hispanic Heritage and Culture."

The exhibit will feature winning artwork from the following five artists:
-- National and Miami Winner: Francisco Gabuardi - Miami, Fla.
-- Carol Ann Patitucci - Chicago, Ill.
-- Josue Jacobo - Houston, Texas
-- Andy Hernandez - Los Angeles, Calif.
-- Omotayo Akinbolajo - Washington D.C.

The exhibit will be on display at 21 Nordstrom stores across the country including:

-- Barton Creek Square - Austin, Texas
-- Broadway Plaza - Walnut Creek, Calif.
-- Downtown Seattle - Seattle, Wash.
-- Fashion Centre at Pentagon City - Arlington, Va.
-- Fashion Place - Murray, Utah
-- Fashion Show Mall - Las Vegas, Nev.
-- Fashion Square - Scottsdale, Ariz.
-- Garden State Plaza - Paramus, N.J.
-- Horton Plaza - San Diego, Calif.
-- Main Place/Santa Ana - Santa Ana, Calif.
-- Michigan Avenue - Chicago, Ill.
-- Park Meadows - Littleton, Colo.
-- Salem Center - Salem, Ore.
-- San Francisco Centre - San Francisco, Calif.
-- Southcenter Plaza - Seattle, Wash.
-- Stanford Shopping Center - Palo Alto, Calif.
-- The Galleria - Dallas, Texas
-- Valley Fair - San Jose, Calif.
-- Village of Merrick Park - Coral Gables, Fla.
-- Westside Pavilion - Los Angeles, Calif.

About Latino Art Beat

Latino Art Beat is a Chicago-based not-for-profit arts organization that awards scholarships to high school students from Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami and Washington D.C. through its arts competition held in May of each year. Since its inception in 1998, Latino Art Beat has awarded nearly $2 million in college scholarships to select competition winners. Winning artwork is displayed at various art exhibits and the top winning artwork is featured in national print media. For more information, telephone: (773) 291-6901; e-mail: latinoartbeat@hotmail.com; or visit the website at: http://www.latinoartbeat.com.

About Nordstrom

Nordstrom, Inc. is one of the nation's leading fashion specialty retailers, with 159 stores located in 28 states. Founded in 1901 as a shoe store in Seattle, today Nordstrom operates 105 full-line stores, 50 Nordstrom Racks, two Jeffrey boutiques and two clearance stores. Nordstrom also serves customers through its online presence at http://www.nordstrom.com and through its catalogs. Nordstrom, Inc. is publicly traded on the NYSE under the symbol JWN.

MEDIA CONTACTS: Michael Boyd
Nordstrom, Inc.
(206) 373-3038

Don Rossi Nuccio
Latino Art Beat
(773) 291-6901

Editor's Note: For more information on the exhibit, biographies on featured artists and images visit our Press Room at http://www.nordstrom.com under the About Us link.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20001011/NORDLOGO)

SOURCE Nordstrom, Inc.
08/19/2008
CONTACT: Michael Boyd of Nordstrom, Inc., +1-206-373-3038; or Don Rossi
Nuccio of Latino Art Beat, +1-773-291-6901
Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20001011/NORDLOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Web site: http://www.nordstrom.com
http://www.latinoartbeat.com