LOVE Park murals urge Philadelphians to the polls

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People in LOVE Park might notice a temporary mural adorning the lawn, placed strategically to complement the City Hall tower rising behind it. Large letters painted in the iconic red font of the Fightin’ Phils read: “Philly Will Decide.”

Is it a rallying cry for the Philly’s World Series run? Or a message to vote in the upcoming presidential election on Nov. 5?

Or both?

“Artists are so clever,” said Jane Golden, director of Mural Arts Philadelphia. “They are able to bring people into an issue with all kinds of visual devices”

For the record, artist Hawk Krall’s “Philly Will Decide” is about voting. It’s one of six large-scale images in “To The Polls,” Mural Arts’ biannual get-out-the-vote mural project.

“I love when artists connect with any social and civic issue, because they can shine a light on things where other people can’t,” Golden said. “That’s really what we’re trying to do.”

It’s working, according to Krall. While spending several days painting the mural in LOVE Park, random passersby let him know they were getting his still-unfinished message.

“People walk by and, like, ‘Hell yeah! Philly will decide!’” he said. “It has been super awesome.”

This is the fourth iteration of To The Polls in six years. It was conceived by Conrad Benner, the public art curator, creator of the Streets Dept blog, and host of the WHYY podcast “Art Outside.”

Benner says To The Polls has proven itself successful by a more quantifiable measurement: social media.

“We have found it over time to be increasingly powerful. We see the response it gets from people coming out, putting it on TikTok and Instagram,” he said. “Positive peer pressure, frankly, is one of the reasons people vote.”

Some of the murals are autobiographical. Jeffy Thomas emigrated from India and now lives and works in Philadelphia as a permanent resident. He is not a U.S. citizen. His mural represents voting on behalf of disenfranchised people who are not able to.

“I’m a green card holder but I am not allowed to vote, which is fine. But everyone’s vote matters to how I experience the country and the rules that I operate under,” Thomas said. “Your vote matters to more than just yourself.”

Isabelle Akhtarshenas painted a version of herself in her mural. A young woman is shown as a pondering figure with a question mark over her head superimposed by an exclamation point. She is shown against a background of the American flag painted in colors evocative of a watermelon, bordered by the patterns of a Palestinian keffiyeh headscarf.

The message is unmistakable: the mural is in support of Palestinian resistance against the Israeli invasion of Gaza.

“I think this is something that a lot of people are thinking about in this election,” Akhtarshenas said. “It is discouraging people to vote.”

Isabelle Akhtarshenas painted a version of herself in her mural. A young woman is shown as a pondering figure with a question mark over her head superimposed by an exclamation point. She is shown against a background of the American flag painted in colors evocative of a watermelon, bordered by the patterns of a Palestinian keffiyeh headscarf.

The message is unmistakable: the mural is in support of Palestinian resistance against the Israeli invasion of Gaza.

“I think this is something that a lot of people are thinking about in this election,” Akhtarshenas said. “It is discouraging people to vote.”

Concern over President Joe Biden administration’s response to the war in Gaza spurred the “Uncommitted” movement, where people who might otherwise have voted for Biden, running uncontested in the primary, were encouraged to not cast a ballot for him, or to abandon voting altogether.

She said the mural, called “Vote? Vote!,” represents her own political journey as a supporter of Palestine who nevertheless decided to participate in the electoral process.

“This journey is one where there’s an intersection between idealism and action,” she said. “You have to find that middle ground between the two.”

Adjacent to “Vote? Vote!” is another mural depicting a very specific voting issue. Artist Nicole Nikolich, aka Lace in the Moon, knitted a life-size, rainbow-colored drag queen from yarn and fixed it to the mural board surrounded by images of vintage voting machines from 1960, also knitted.

Nikolich wanted to depict LGBTQ+ voting concerns and searched the internet looking for a photo showing someone dressed in performance drag at a polling place in the act of voting. She could find no such visual document.

“How beautiful would it be if a drag queen, or a person who had a drag show at 5 p.m. but wanted to go vote at 4 p.m., could feel that confident,” she said. “Maybe there are some people that do — get in line to vote. Like, how much of a joyful thing!”

“To The Polls” is a temporary installation and will be removed after the election. Benner and Mural Arts will soon unveil a permanent GOTV mural in West Philadelphia, currently being painted by Tai Corrienté Baucom, that will be a year-round reminder of the importance of voting.

Mural Arts will spotlight the “To The Polls” during its Mural Arts Month festival on Sunday in LOVE Park, along with other planned events throughout October.