In 1958, Industrias Kaiser Argentina (IKA), [an automobile manufacturer] whose headquarters were in the province of Córdoba, launched the I Salón IKA [1st IKA Salon], whose goal was to give greater exposure to local artists and their work. The Salon was originally limited to artists from Córdoba, but in the four subsequent editions the scope was widened to include artists from sixteen other provinces as well. In 1961, IKA decided to expand the parameters of the event to include the whole country, and organized an international, biennial painting contest. These Latin American Art Biennials were not only promotional vehicles for IKA, they were also an expression of the company’s Pan-American policy, endorsed and promoted by the Organization of American States. In this document, James F. McCloud, the President of the Latin American Art Biennial, points out that IKA’s sponsorship of the Biennial is directly related to "the values that provide the structure for our culture" and which therefore give meaning to life; absent the values that give meaning to life, industry would be meaningless. He mentions that "Henry J. Kaiser, his son Edgar," and those who work in their companies all share one objective, which is "mankind." He ends his speech by stressing that the Latin American Art Biennial "is dedicated to honoring the culture of the Americas."
