Moore & Van Allen, a nationally ranked Am Law 200 firm with offices in Charlotte and Charleston, has a long history of promoting diversity and inclusion in its workforce as well as its mentorship programs and philanthropic efforts. Kcomm had the pleasure of collaborating with MVA in developing the concept for this year’s annual Diversity & Inclusion report. To cover the breadth of 2020, certainly one of the most turbulent and impactful years in modern history, we wanted to bring diversity to life across every page of the report in an intriguing, unexpected way.
Our concept of “A Broader Canvas” focused on artistic creation as a metaphor for the evolving and increasingly diverse communities that MVA serves. Charlotte-based artist Rosalia Torres-Weiner, whose work is on display at the Smithsonian among other prestigious art institutions, was commissioned to create an original painting for MVA. This Mexican-born artist encapsulated the year with a fresh eye and a unique perspective.
Her Instagram-style square painting is a collage of bright, colorful images representing windows of opportunity. We see closeups of the eyes of people of color, looking directly at the viewer as if to engage and connect. Vibrant flowers reflecting growth are interspersed with the starker, hard-hitting words “EQUAL” and “BLM.” Rosalia draws from her Mexican heritage with decorative shapes and colors, and she uses the hummingbird, a Mexican icon of wisdom, to represent MVA’s tradition of sharing knowledge with the next generation of leadership.
The firm’s Diversity & Inclusion report includes Rosalia’s process as part of the story. Across multiple pages, it features several behind-the-scenes photos of the painting’s creation. The artwork is revealed in full on the final page, but for the artist as well as MVA, the story doesn’t end there. Elements bleed off the frame to show a continuation, just as the mission to advance diversity and inclusion is always a work in progress.
“A Broader Canvas” is now on display at MVA’s Uptown Charlotte office, adding to the renowned art collection that the firm has been building for decades. Kcomm is honored to have played a part in this meaningful project, one that fuses artistry and social justice in the pursuit of a stronger and more equitable community.
