Art and Voter Advocacy in 2020
From an ‘unabashed’ virtual performance by Washington Ensemble Theatre to national social media campaigns like Plan Your Vote, artist across the U.S. are lending their creative voice to voter advocacy.
by Alexis Chapman
Read time: 2 min
Whose Stories Will Be Told?
This year marks 100 years since the ratification of the 19th Amendment. In theory, the 19th Amendment made voting in the U.S. a right regardless of sex. In actual practice, the 19th Amendment - and many who fought for it - ignored the double discrimination blocking many women (and men) of color from the ballot box. As a result, millions of Black, Latina, Asian-American, and Native American women were held back by race-based-laws like poll taxes, literacy tests, and voter intimidation for decades.
As we reflect on the history of the 19th Amendment, it is easy to draw comparisons to the quickly approaching 2020 U.S. presidential and local elections. Overt voter suppression tactics like poll closures, voter ID laws, and voter purges - coupled with the Coronavirus pandemic - continue to create roadblocks for BIPOC, disabled and low-income communities. When we look back on this moment in history what stories will be told? How is the contemporary arts community engaging with this moment?
Visual Storytelling
Contemporary art, in all its forms, embraces the idea that art is not separate from our lives or the world we live in. When paired with virtual and social media platforms contemporary artists have a unique opportunity to reflect on, respond to or even shape the national conversations in real time. This has been evident in the last year, as artist have adapted their practice during the Coronavirus pandemic to virtual formats and used their artistic voices to build community and connection in times of deep isolation and civic unrest. Over the last few months, artists across the country have been working on projects leveraging the power and reach of contemporary art for voting advocacy. Examples of these projects and events include: Plan Your Vote, Art Vote Art, The Unstoppable Voter, and Voting 2020: What Stories Will We Tell.
Plan Your Vote
In early September, a nonpartisan visual arts initiative was launched by the nonprofit organization Vote.org that seeks to harness the power of art to encourage voter participation and promote voting rights. The “Plan Your Vote” website features an open access digital archive of voting advocacy visuals. Each image is free to download and circulate along with links to register to vote, check absentee status, and set voting reminders. The digital archive is compiled of original works by 60 contemporary artists, including Calida Garcia Rawles, Dyani White Hawk Polk, Wangechi Mutu, and Guerilla Girls.
Art Vote Art
From October 15th - November 3rd, the Washington Theater Ensemble (WET) will be presenting a collection of new performances from Seattle artists called Vote Art Vote. The performances are directed by Raja Feather Kelly and co-curated by Dani Tirrell. Each performance seeks to encourage audiences to “remember the power a single voice (and vote) can hold. The pieces are a queer instigation of the forgotten, often underserved, and most important part of our city - that art in the heart of Seattle.” Performing artist include Anastacia-Renee, Angel Baby Kill Kill Kill, Cipher Goings, Fox Whitney, LüChi, moonyeka, Neve, Randy Ford, Saira Barbaric, and Thumper Blu.
The Unstoppable Voter
The Center for Artistic Activism (C4AA) created the Unstoppable Voter project to highlight ambitious, innovative collaborations between artists and civic organizations seeking to increase voter engagement and counter voting suppression. From 100 applications C4AA funded 11 artistic voter advocacy projects that will take place before and on Election Day. Sites include Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin. View list of projects.
Voting 2020: What Stories Will We Tell
A recent panel discussion hosted by the Center on Contemporary Art (CoCA) explored the intersection of art and politics in voter advocacy, an exploration in support of their exhibition What Stories Will the Unintended Beneficiaries Tell (WSWUBT). Panelists included Negarra Kumudu, Program Manager at the Frye Art Museum and Gennette Cordova, Social Justice Writer and Contributor to REVOLT. This panel discussion covered topics ranging from voter suppression vs non-voters, the importance of local elections to affect real change for underserved communities, opportunities for civic engagement outside of the establishment and the intersection of art with voter advocacy in 2020.
While art may not be able to drive someone to a specific outcome or action, it most certainly has the ability to spark conversation, deep reflection on injustices and build communities.
ADDITIONAL VOTER RESOURCES:
Vote.org - Check your voter registration and make a plan to vote
Vote411 - ‘One- stop-shop’ for election information
Healthy Voting - Stay safe while voting
CDC - Stay informed about Covid-19
We Can Vote - Voting made easy by state
SOURCES:
https://www.planyourvote.org/
https://washingtonensemble.org/season-17-vote-art-vote/
https://c4aa.org/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yo2H23iPTyw&feature=youtu.be
https://medium.com/@mdnharris/five-ways-of-seeing-the-relationship-between-art-and-politics-in-a-time-of-trump-568a8bb94d65
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2020/07/9923190/women-of-color-voter-suppression-2020-election
