Update: New Postcard Design Alert!
Earlier this summer we were thrilled to be adding customized postcards to our No Excuses Philly project, in which we're encouraging tens of thousands of Philadelphians to stay safe and vote by mail this November. The postcards are the brainchild of photographer and director Anna Wolf and artist, illustrator, and animator Mike Perry. Based in Brooklyn, Anna and Mike were looking for a way to make an impact in a swing state in 2020. "We woke up the day after the 2016 election and realized we didn’t truly know the country we were living in," Anna said. "But, as devastating and heartbreaking as that realization was, it was also the catalyst for us to become more engaged citizens, neighbors, and human beings." Focusing on Pennsylvania, they have been avid postcard writers for Indivisible Philadelphia for some time. They connected us with two other artists to create custom postcards, and generously supported their creation and printing!
Jennifer Maravillas is a visual artist and illustrator living in Brooklyn. She received a BFA in Communication Art and Design at the University of Louisville and an MS in Mass Communication at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her work and studies focus on land: how we build our societies as repositories of information and culture for future inhabitants; how our relationship to land shapes us as individuals and communities. Jennifer described her inspiration for the postcard: "This art is meant to convey a sense of optimism about our election in November. We’ve been through some low times these last few years and now have an opportunity to rebuild our country in a just and equal manner.”
Michael Saintil is an art director living in Brooklyn. He specializes in social media design, motion graphics, illustration, and branding. He finds inspiration throughout New York City from local galleries to streetwear culture. He graduated from Parsons The New School For Design with a BFA in Illustration and Visual Arts. Michael said of his postcard design: "It was an honor to create a postcard that illustrates the importance for people of all colors and backgrounds coming together to vote! As a minority myself, I wanted to make sure a diverse group of people were represented because it doesn't matter who you are or what your background is, come November 3rd, every vote counts, especially this year."
Our postcarding project has been more successful than we ever imagined! We quickly ran through literally hundreds of thousands of Jennifer and Michael's beautiful cards, so we asked Mike this month if he could create a new design for us focusing on getting out the vote in the final weeks of the election! His style may look familiar to some of you fans of Broad City, since he did that show's animations. (Not to brag, or anything!)
We believe that voters receiving these cards will absolutely read our messages because of the visual impact of these cards. The theme is to encourage the inconsistent voters to VOTE so we can keep the things we all care about in our society. There is still time to get involved and motivate your fellow Philadelphians--email us at NoExcusesPHL@gmail.com.