Voting-themed art has been popping up around Albuquerque from local artists that want to remind New Mexico residents of the importance of voting in the general election.
Murals and small paintings on buildings cover the avenues of downtown Albuquerque and Nob Hill, as well as some spots near Los Ranchos de Albuquerque.
Artist Felicia Montoya, along with her husband Markus Wall and their daughter Eva and artist Kema, recently painted a mural on Fourth Street. The mural is colorful, with a Black Lives Matter portion and a voter registration box that sits next to large letters on the mural that read “vote.”
“I had the idea of painting the mural while watching the Democratic convention. We painted the ‘vote’ mural on Sept. 12,” Montoya said. “I registered to become a voter registration agent so that I could register people to vote.”
Different murals around Albuquerque all have various themes such as voting, fracking, Black Lives Matter and social and political justice.
“I love that there’s art around Albuquerque showing how essential it is that everyone votes,” local resident Jenn Kennedy said.
Specific art includes a large banner that reads “Vote New Mexico” on Central Avenue nearby the Guild Cinema in Nob Hill.
“The reality is that if everyone went out and voted, our elected officials would represent the values within any city, any jurisdiction,” Wall said. “It’s all just about getting out there and voting, then you’re represented the way you should be.”
Further up Central, around the Nob Hill area, is a mural of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Nazario Sandoval, a fracking debate mural by Larry Bob Phillips and a COVID-19 first responders mural by Skinjun, Munki and Home Grown NM Trading Post.
“This year’s election is just so important,” Kennedy said. “Everyone really has to go out and vote, especially the younger generation. And it’s incredible that there are art murals around where students live to remind them to go out and vote.”
Another large, colorful mural encouraging people to vote by Claire Bain and Gary Sena hangs above Slice Parlor.
“I created a little flyer about important dates to remember about the election,” Montoya said. “These items live in the box that’s a part of the mural.”
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Montoya highlighted the opportunity artists have to make a statement in a highly polarized political environment.
“We were watching the convention, (and) it’s just a messed up political climate right now. I felt like we had to do something, and we have an opportunity to put this message on one of the main streets,” Montoya said. “This was just our way of doing something. We didn’t want to put any political side, we just wanted to make it like, ‘vote!’ Make your voice heard.”
Lauren McDonald is a freelance reporter at the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @old_mcdonald25
