I Vote Because
A POSTER CELEBRATION — Democracy and a Woman’s Right to Vote
(2020)
The Nineteenth Amendment, officially adopted on August 26, 1920, following its ratification by the state of Tennessee, prohibits the states and the federal government from denying the right to vote to citizens of the United States based on sex.
Democracy means rule by the people. In the United States, the right to vote is the foundation of our democracy; we use public elections to choose our policy and law makers. Many feel voting is not only the fundamental right of every citizen, but a civic responsibility. Ideally, voting supports social awareness, empowers political cooperation, and helps to hold those in power accountable for their decisions and their actions.Less than fifty percent of US citizens vote in any public election. Therefore, most Americans remain silent, refusing to participate in the selection of their leaders.
I Vote Because is a portfolio of printed broadsides that resulted from a 50-day letterpress marathon — a down-and-dirty wood type performance designed to promote honest discussion concerning democracy and to encourage women to exercise their hard-fought right to vote. An invitation was sent to 55 women living in Middle Tennessee; the participants represent various ages, political persuasions, economic situations, ethnic backgrounds, and lifestyle choices. These broadsides are their responses to the request to finish the statement that begins, “I vote because.”
Celene Aubry (Hatch Show Print) and Cynthia Marsh (Studio One Eye Open) used antique wood and metal type to typeset and print the posters. One printed statement was posted daily via Instagram, to reach, and possibly inspire a wider audience, and have been collected in this portfolio.
