US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama arrive at The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, December 6, 2015 to attend the Kennedy Center Honors. The honorees are singer-songwriter Carole King, filmmaker George Lucas actress, actress and singer Rita Moreno, Conductor Seiji Ozawa and actress and Broadway star Cicely Tyson. AFP PHOTO / CHRIS KLEPONIS / AFP / CHRIS KLEPONIS (Photo credit should read CHRIS KLEPONIS/AFP/Getty Images)
Combatting the stereotype of apathetic youth, Rock the Vote – the nonpartisan nonprofit created to see young people through America’s political process – has found a new way to galvanize and inspire millennials to vote in the upcoming election in November…
Art.
Using innovation and creativity, the organization partnered with #Cut50 and other national and community partners to launch Truth to Power, a campaign to “mobilize young people in the 2016 election” by way of a large-scale pop-up art exhibition, cultural convening, and community organizing event series. The event was held during the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.
But just how are art and politics blending together to make change?
“You see politics becoming pop culture,” political strategist and VH1 correspondent Carri Twigg told NewsOne.
With pieces that touched on hot election topics like criminal justice reform, gun control, and LGBTQ rights, the art exhibit – which featured artists from Keith Haring to Shepard Fairey – brought to light how voting in the upcoming election can change policy.
This infusion, Twigg said, is changing the trajectory of who the White House is engaging with. Using President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama as examples, Twigg said that by reaching out to millennials through art and pop culture, the nation is giving voice to a new generation of voters.
Watch the full interview above.