Arte corte

Arte Corte stole my heart.
Divine intervention led me to the Arte Corte Project. I have never even heard of it, but I am so glad I did!

Arte Corte is a non profit organization that is designed to help aspiring hair artist. It is a hair school and antique hair museum that gives back to their local community.

The project also conducts art classes for children, and they teach FREE cosmetology courses to aspiring barbers and stylist . They even teach bartending classes!

This place warms my heart.

Arte Corte even created a hair themed park for kids called “Barbeparque” on the “Calleron de los Peluqueros” (which translates to The Street of the Hair Stylist.” Here kids can play at the park, AND GET A HAIRCUT.

It is truly amazing and I have never seen anything like this before. Every hair stylist must check it out. 

I had the honor of meeting Papito, the creator and director of Arte Corte. I wanted to visit the hair museum and couldn’t seem to find it, but luckily I ran into Papito when he was on his way out and he let me in for a quick tour.

Picture a hair salon in Old Havana...it was filled with antique styling tools and amazing art on the walls painted by local Cubanos. 

As a hair artist I was in complete awe and I truly appreciated all of it. I heard there was a local hair school and I wanted to check it out. 

I asked if I can visit to teach a class one day, and I ended up teaching the next school day.

I was so nervous, I had no idea what to expect or teach. I was an educator for a keratin company a few years ago, so my “teaching skills” were a little dusty. Teaching in Spanish and trying to explain modern looks without WiFi was fun!

The group of students were the most motivated, inspired, and completely dedicated aspiring artist I have ever came across. I don’t know if it is because of Cuba’s lack or WiFi and social media, but they are 100% attentive because they do not have a connection on their phones as a distraction. 

Another mind boggling moment that astonished me was finding out how much they make as stylist. All Cubans make a salary of $25-35 a month...whether you are a doctor, a janitor, or a lawyer you will get paid the same. So these stylist who are choosing this route are truly doing it for the love and passion of making a person feel and look good. 

As an American stylist, our values are different. We are driven by money, fame, and constantly booked and busy...but in Cuba that’s not what being a stylist is about. 

It’s about the true fundamental purpose of being a hairstylist: 

the simple act of helping someone see a different and better side of themselves. 

I was able to teach whatever I wanted. The students were so happy and open to learning. I asked what they wanted to learn  more of-color v.s cutting...and color won.

As I attempted to explain  the law of color Im Spanish, I was told they only had ONE color tube for me to color the students hair. ONE COLOR TUBE. Let that sink in...

Due to lack of imported goods, it is difficult to attain color and tools to properly teach in the school. 

SO HOW AND WHAT ARE THEY TEACHING?!

Well, that morning they were learning what we as artist can do with our hands without having the expense of products...so roller setting, and braids. 

I got to pull off the color class with one tube of color, and while she was processing I took out my curling iron and asked if they wanted to learn styling tricks. Everyone gladly wanted to step in and volunteer to use the curling iron...in fact some of them have never even used a curling iron because they didn’t have one. 

I cried when I saw how happy they were after successfully learning how to use the curling iron. The look of joy on their face will forever be in my heart. This is my purpose, I can’t make the world a better place all by myself. I need help spreading my fairy love dust. 

We all have a purpose, and that is to make the world a better place.  When I was here it felt like home. There was something about being here that helped me realize this was my purpose. 

Ironically, they believe in the same values! 

Upon my last visit I had a great conversation with Papito. Arte Corte believes everyone was created for a reason and a purpose. Arte Corte also helps aspiring disabled artist.

Papito was explaining to me how they recently taught a student who is disabled and can not walk...but she still has a purpose.  She now knows how to blow dry and style hair. They are in the process of opening a salon and they are building a station for the stylist who is disabled so she can comfortably make people feel beautiful. If that doesn’t touch your heart then you might not have one. 

Everything happens for a reason and I now know why I connected here. I want Arte Corte to thrive.

I want to help get sponsors for Arte Corte.

They need sponsors- OBAMA RECOGNIZED this project when he visited Havana yet the lack of WiFi and social media keeps them isolated.

Have no fear Jess is here with 24 hours of attainable WiFi. 

I want them to learn the magic of color and the beauty of styling. 

I will do what I can to help them help me make this world a better place, one hair strand at a time. 

Oh also, as a stylist you can donate your scissors to be a part of their art history along with hundred of other stylist from around the world. Donated scissors get put onto the scissor statue that is on the street by Barbeparque.