THE CREATIVE SPIRIT LIVES IN EACH OF US. FREEDOM TO CREATE FEEDS THE SOUL, SPARKS PROGRESS, AND POWERS THE WORLD. THE FOUNDERS’ COMMITMENT TO FREE EXPRESSION IS INSCRIBED IN THE FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION. BY VOTING FOR PEOPLE COMMITTED TO UPHOLD THESE IDEALS AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, WE THE PEOPLE CAN MORE FULLY LIVE UP TO OUR INDIVIDUAL POTENTIAL AND THE PROMISE OF OUR NATION’S ASPIRATIONS.

On the nonpartisan cable program she hosts called: This is What Democracy Looks Like, Beth Radow, an attorney and co-president of a local chapter of the League of Women Voters, routinely asks—and seeks to answer--this question: “What does democracy look like?

Anticipating the Nation’s 250th birthday, the 2026 midterm elections and a desire to connect each eligible citizen’s right to vote with a reason to vote, Beth asked local professional visual artists, affiliated with The Mamaroneck Artists Guild and Mamaroneck High School seniors to create, for a public opening, art on the theme of what democracy looks like to them. The only limitation was to make the art nonpartisan. Cecile Roberfroid and Monique Robidoux who are affiliated with Mamaroneck Artists Guild helped to secure the art and prepare for the show. The artists responded by creating artwork across a range of media including oil/acrylic, mixed media, photography and 3-D.

On a Saturday in October 2025, THE ART OF DEMOCRACY came to life. At the in-person gallery show at Palmer Art in Larchmont, NY, guests experienced the original art, live music provided by acclaimed musician Bob Curiano, poetry readings by Village of Mamaroneck Poet Laureate Melissa Joplin Higley and refreshments. Guests contributed their own art to a community canvas on the theme of democracy, created outdoor chalk art with Mamaroneck artist Hugh Yeman and contributed an original line to a community poem on the theme of democracy, later curated by Melissa.

In addition to the artists who created art specifically for this show, artist-in-residence Debbie Taylor Kerman and local pop artist Michael Albert hung their art in the Gallery and spoke to guests. Midway through the afternoon, the topic turned to the importance of voting and making a voting plan using the League of Women Voters’ nonpartisan online voting tool VOTE411.ORG‍ ‍from anywhere in the USA. Mamaroneck Town Clerk, Allison May spoke about voting options and voter safety measures in place for the 2025 elections. Resident Anne Goode spoke about the value of poll-working and encouraged guests to sign up for poll-worker training. Guests flowed into the art gallery all afternoon to get updated on voting, meet the artists, experience the art, create art and poetry themselves, move to the music, visit with friends and make new acquaintances.

Joy permeated Palmer Art in celebration of the creative spirit and America at 250, and with it came encouragement to extend the experience of THE ART OF DEMOCRACY to all corners of the country. Watch highlights of THE ART OF DEMOCRACY which inspired this next chapter. THE ART OF DEMOCRACY online commits to the nonpartisan foundational goals of democracy: freedom of expression, due process, equity, justice, and the right to vote.

The first online ART OF DEMOCRACY exhibit will be available from June 20 through November 30, 2026.

• Poetry entries for the first ART OF DEMOCRACY exhibit are open through May 15, 2026

• Visual art entries for its first ART OF DEMOCRACY exhibit are open through May 15, 2026

• Short Video entries for the first ART OF DEMOCRACY exhibit are open through May 20, 2026
  

Visitors to THE ART OF DEMOCRACY are encouraged to make a voting plan using VOTE411.ORG‍ ‍and other resources referred to in the Voter’s Guide Section, which will be up and running when the exhibit opens in June.

Thank you for joining us.