Last week, more than 450 employees took part in our annual Week of CARE to engage with some of the communities that Alaska Airlines serve, including an event where 17-year-old Bay Area art prodigy Tyler Gordon lent a helping hand to adorn one of San Jose’s most under-resourced schools with an inspiring mural.
Gordon painted one of his coveted murals of influential Bay Area figures at L.U.C.H.A. Elementary School, including Olympic gold medalist and U.S. figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi, American labor leader and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta, Vietnamese-American professor and Pulitzer Prize winner Viet Thanh Nguyen, as well a self-portrait.
L.U.C.H.A. staff chose the four Bay Area native figures because they have inspired students to keep “soaring high,” which is the school’s motto. Gordon’s breathtaking portraits of celebrities, like Vice President Kamala Harris and LeBron James, have gone viral.
On Monday morning, Yamaguchi, Gordon and Nguyen joined Alaska Airlines employees to unveil the mural to L.U.C.H.A. students.
“I’m so honored to paint this mural, and grateful for the opportunity,” Gordon said. “I’m excited to honor the legacy and hard work of some of California’s most iconic history makers.”
Gordon’s art installation is one of more than 25 community projects employees across 13 cities spearheaded for our company-wide Week of CARE.
