Taking it to the streets! The Civic Sidewalk Series returns

Civic Nebraska is employing the power of art to get out the vote – and to bring plain pavement to full-color life with the return of the popular Civic Sidewalk Series.

The Civic Sidewalk Series will take place at several locations in Lincoln, Omaha, and Grand Island starting Sept. 25 and finishing Oct. 1. Local artists will spray-chalk motivational messages about voting at various locations, while Civic Nebraska and partners will provide voter education, registration, and help for voters in making plans for the Nov. 8 general election.

This is the third Civic Sidewalk Series. The first took place in Lincoln in the run-up to the 2020 general election. Partners in the project included the South of Downtown Community Development Organization, Civic Nebraska, the LUX Center for the Arts, and Adria Does Design. In 2021, the Series returned to raise awareness and engagement for municipal elections in Omaha and Lincoln.

For the upcoming general election, partner organizations expanded to The Wellbeing Partners, Latino Center of the Midlands, the Union for Contemporary Arts, The Gathering Place, YWCA of Grand Island, and the LUX Center for the Arts.

“Utilizing art is a special opportunity for our communities to engage with one another,” said Chueqa Yang, voting rights field organizer for Civic Nebraska and coordinator of the Civic Sidewalk Series. “Voting is our most important right, and we want to ensure every Nebraskan has the opportunity to participate.”

The enthusiasm for the Series, combined with the increasing need for voter education and support, led to expansion into Greater Nebraska this year, Yang said.