Just a reminder today, artists and arts lovers. This election is important! Your voice counts.
People might say that the arts don’t matter while the City of Philadelphia staggers under the weight of intractable poverty, failing schools, the scourge of drugs, and gun violence that kills its citizens indiscriminately. But we say, the arts can be a tool to help fight the ills that plague the city. Artists are doers and makers and problem solvers and civic-minded and community-minded. Artists live in all the zip codes of the city; artists are generally under-employed and under-valued instead of embraced as a workforce with the will to help. Enlightened and visionary leaders in other cities realize the potential of artists to make their cities better and put the arts to work. There are successful templates for this. Call it a Philadelphia Art Corps. Philadelphia leaders have long disregarded the artistic treasure that is the Philadelphia arts community. It’s long overdue that our leaders wake up and take charge and provide leadership for All sectors of the economy — including and especially the arts sector. To spin a proverb coined in the 1970s, The Arts are a terrible thing to waste.
Polling places are open 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM. Voters in line at 8:00 PM will be able to vote. Information on polling places and other useful things here.