PHOTOS: Chalk murals drawn in Manhattan made to encourage others to vote

By The Villager Posted on October 28, 2020

Wall art touting VOTE. Though these messages have been on walls in the Village and Soho for months, the message has more impact this week as thousands line up for early voting all over the city.

Photo by Tequila Minsky

By Tequila Minsky

Thousands of New Yorkers turned up over the weekend to cast their vote early. While many donned their masks with the word “Vote” on them, artists Wendy Stum and Anthony Cappetto began to create chalk art on the paving stones of Washington Square Park.

Commissioned by MTV, the chalk drawings were created in public spaces to encourage New Yorkers to vote.

PHOTOS: Chalk murals drawn in Manhattan made to encourage others to vote 2 — At the voting lines, this past weekend. Masks emphasize voting.

PHOTOS: Chalk murals drawn in Manhattan made to encourage others to vote 3 — At the voting lines, this past weekend. Masks emphasize voting.

PHOTOS: Chalk murals drawn in Manhattan made to encourage others to vote 4 — At the voting lines, this past weekend. Masks emphasize voting.

PHOTOS: Chalk murals drawn in Manhattan made to encourage others to vote 5 — At the voting lines, this past weekend. Masks emphasize voting.

PHOTOS: Chalk murals drawn in Manhattan made to encourage others to vote 6 — At the voting lines, this past weekend. Masks emphasize voting.

PHOTOS: Chalk murals drawn in Manhattan made to encourage others to vote 7 — VOTE chalk art, commssioned by MTV. In Washington Square Park there are two… this one south of the fountain, homage to Basquiat. Executed by artists Wendy Stum & Anthony Cappetto.

PHOTOS: Chalk murals drawn in Manhattan made to encourage others to vote 8 — Messages to vote, expressed in many ways.

PHOTOS: Chalk murals drawn in Manhattan made to encourage others to vote 9 — Anthony Cappetto working on his VOTE chalk art, adapting a detail with iconic imagery from a work by Jean-Michel Basquiat.

PHOTOS: Chalk murals drawn in Manhattan made to encourage others to vote 10 — Wall art touting VOTE. Though these messages have been on walls in the Village and Soho for months, the message has more impact this week as thousands line up for early voting all over the city.

PHOTOS: Chalk murals drawn in Manhattan made to encourage others to vote 11 — VOTE chalk art, commssioned by MTV. In Washington Square Park there are two… this one north of the fountain, homage to Mondrian. Executed by artists Wendy Stum & Anthony Capetto.

PHOTOS: Chalk murals drawn in Manhattan made to encourage others to vote 12 — Artists Wendy Stum & Anthony Cappetto, commssioned by MTV to make VOTE chalk pavement art. In Washington Square Park there are two… this one south of the fountain, homage to Basquiat.

About the Author

The Villager

The Villager, founded in 1933, is an award winning weekly newspaper serving New York City’s West and East Villages, Soho, Noho, Little Italy, Chinatown, and Lower East Side.