Democracy through the arts at U-M

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With students back on campus, the University of Michigan has ramped up its efforts to encourage them to vote in the 2024 presidential election.

From making a personal voting plan and getting registered to engaging conversations centered around democracy and caring for oneself during potentially stressful weeks surrounding the election, below are a handful of programs that address the broad spectrum of democratic participation.

Creative Camping Voting Project

Professors Stephanie Rowden and Hannah Smotrich of the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design are the co-leads of the nonpartisan Creative Campus Voting Project.

Since 2018, the pair have been utilizing behavioral science insights and their own design strategies to build inviting spaces, experiences and materials that demystify the voting process, and increase student voting with the hope of creating lifelong voters. And it seems to be working.

At the last presidential election, aided by efforts of the CCVP and their UMICH Votes Coalition partners, nearly 90% of voting-eligible students registered to vote and 78% cast their ballot on election day.

Right now at the U-M Museum of Art, CCVP has activated the space with information about registration and how to learn about your ballot. The installation includes a giant U.S. map where students can put a pin in the location where they plan to vote, as well as digital resources to understand rules and deadlines for each state.

Working with Stamps student and illustrator Ria Ma (BFA '25), CCVP designed a playful "Voter Style" personality quiz. From a Busy Bunny to a Party Puppy to a Supportive Sea Otter, the quiz uses answers to lighthearted questions to generate a customized voter action plan with easy to follow steps.

A collection of Zines also available on-site, such as "Voting 101" and "I'm Registered, Now what?" offer key information in a conversational tone with illustrations by Victor Luis Garcia (BFA '24).

[Link]A collection of Zines also available on-site, such as "Voting 101" and "I'm Registered, Now What?" offer key information in a conversational tone with illustrations by Victor Luis Garcia (BFA '24). Image credit: Creative Campus Voting Project

The UMMA space will become an active satellite office of the Ann Arbor City Clerk, for registration and voting, beginning Sept. 24, and a secondary voting hub at the Duderstadt Center on North Campus will become operational starting Oct. 21.

Common Sense Diner

Hosted by UMMA's Visiting Artist for Arts & Civic Engagement, Philippa Pham Hughes, individuals from both sides of the aisle are invited to break bread together and discuss "what it means to be an American right now."

These free, intimate meals, taking place on Thursday evenings and Friday afternoons through Nov. 1, have no agenda of persuasion or pandering. The goal is simply to "ask questions and listen to each other."

A meal will be served along with art and discussion prompts that allow participants to connect with fellow guests in surprising ways.

The Common Sense Diner is part of Hughes' "Hey, We Need to Talk!" exhibit, open through Jan. 26, 2025, at UMMA, and is free and open to the public.

Take Care

The U-M Arts Initiative is taking a different approach to election season. Through "Take Care," the initiative explores "how art can help communities to process the current moment: caring for oneself and others during challenging times, self and community-healing as a means of collective resilience, and how taking care and self-expression can help create a world we all want to live in."

With a range of programming from workshops and discussions, performances and art making, and exhibits and exercise, finding ways to take care of yourself and others is the priority.

On Sept. 13, the initiative will gather the U-M community to share in music's power to bring people together and cope through challenging times with its second annual Community Sing event at Ingalls Mall. The event is free and open to the public.

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