Philadelphia is using the power of art in inspiring voter engagement. 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, inspiring voter engagement.

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 and inspire voter engagement.

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, inspiring voter engagement.

Read the full article about inspiring voter engagement by Rayna Lewis at Philadelphia Gay News.