Philadelphia is using the power of art to encourage people to vote. Curated and managed by Conrad Benner through Mural Arts Philadelphia, these two new art installations are the latest examples of his voting-themed projects that have spanned the last decade.
“These projects are about creating nonpartisan encouragement for getting out there and voting,” said Benner, who identifies as gay. “The great thing about working with nonprofit money and in a nonpartisan way is no one’s talking about politicians and parties, it’s talking about issues.”
One installation, “To the Polls,” comprises six pieces by six Philadelphia-based artists from a variety of backgrounds that use the medium of murals to convey personal messages about voting.
Serena Saunders is a self-proclaimed “mompreneur” who favors large-scale, bold and abstract art pieces with a detailed color palette. Her piece is called “Rise Up” and features the phrase “And still hope rises” as both a form of empowerment and a call to action to stand against oppression.
Known for his humorous artwork that often depicts food, Hawk Krall has had his work featured in various publications and galleries alike. With Pennsylvania as a crucial swing state, Krall’s message that “Philly will Decide” is designed to bring to life the excitement of Philadelphia and to combat the dark tone of modern politics.
Alloyius Mcilwaine takes his love of multi-genre art and turns his creations into hand-painted clothing, founding the Cultures Clothing Company. Mcilwaine uses the Statue of Liberty in his piece, “Liberty & Democracy,” to convey that the right to vote was a hard-earned victory that was fought over and bled for.
Known for her whimsical style, Isabella Akhtarshenas uses a variety of media to inspire joy, convey wonder and spotlight human interaction with nature. “Vote? Vote!” shows the transformation from question to conviction, with a watermelon-themed backdrop. This piece comes with a QR code that can be scanned to view the moving GIF version of this piece.
Nicole Nikolich specializes in large-scale crochet murals and 3D installations, focusing on themes of pop culture, mental health, LGBTQ+ issues and nostalgia. “A Drag Queen Goes to Vote and it is No Big Deal” uses crochet to depict a drag queen exiting a voting booth, a statement about disenfranchised people getting out the vote.
Jeffy Thomas is an illustrator, small-scale muralist, and digital artist who uses intricately-lined drawings and patterns to share messages of peace and joy. Born and raised in Bahrain and India, Thomas is not a citizen and cannot vote, and therefore hopes to inspire others to vote to protect the people he loves using his piece “Our Shared Future.”
Alongside this project comes Philadelphia’s first permanent voting-themed mural entitled: “Philly Votes: Legacy in Bloom.” The artist, Tai Corrienté Baucom, incorporates themes of spirituality, mysticism and mythology into family-centered stories by drawing from her own personal roots.
For this piece, Corrienté Baucom uses metaphor, fashion and the language of flowers to show how the rights that people have today were passed down from those who fought for them. She hopes to remind people to “plant the seeds of change” to make decisions that help others not just now, but in the future.
Every aspect of this piece was carefully planned, down to the location.
“The organization Show Up Strong used data to identify 10 zip codes [with] downward trending voter turnout, and we looked for walls in those neighborhoods,” Benner said about this new mural. “When people around you are voting and talk openly about it, you’re more likely to vote. It’s one of the reasons why we have ‘I voted’ stickers.”
Benner’s dedication to art and voter encouragement has been a tremendous focus of his life.
Growing up in Philadelphia, he had numerous opportunities to experience art both in museums and on the street. However, Benner did not realize that art could be such a powerful vehicle for change until he saw a TED-style talk with a street artist named Swoon.
“I heard her say years ago that people can know things, but until they feel things, they might not change things, and art has that ability to make people feel things,” Benner said.
Beginning in 2014, Benner first combined his passion for voter engagement and art in a project entitled Next Stop Democracy, which designed playful and friendly-looking signs to both welcome and direct voters to their polling places. Funded by the Knight Foundation, it sought to address and combat the barriers that people face in getting out to vote.
Expanding on the spirit of that endeavor, “To the Polls” began in 2018 to spread awareness and encourage voting. Benner set out to get a mix of people from different demographics and backgrounds to produce work that speaks to a wide variety of people.
“I think we’d be better off if more people voted, and that’s why I work so hard on these projects,” Benner said.
“To the Polls” is available for viewing at Love Park, at 16th Street and JFK Boulevard, through Nov. 5. “Philly Votes: Legacy in Bloom” is currently in-progress and is located at 5644 Walnut St., with an official mural dedication block party 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Oct. 22.
