Artist Statement

This piece centers a child riding a dolphin that’s balancing on a flat unicycle wheel, her body wrapped in a looping trombone that releases the word “vote.” The scene is intentionally surreal, a tiny circus of joy, balance, and motion, because silliness can carry serious messages without losing its softness.

Spiritually, dolphins symbolize joy, protection, intuitive guidance, and safe passage through emotional waters. In this artwork, the dolphin becomes a guide helping the child navigate a precarious landscape, balancing, moving, and staying buoyant despite the wobble beneath her. The unicycle wheel adds a sense of tension, a reminder that participating in civic life often feels like trying to stay upright on something flat or unstable.

The trombone looping around her body becomes a musical call to action, suggesting that voting isn’t an external duty. It wraps around us, moves with us, and becomes part of our rhythm. The surrealism is a deliberate tool: silliness becomes a spiritual strategy, softening the heaviness that often surrounds political engagement.

As I created this piece, I found myself drawn to the dolphin’s symbolism: joy as resistance, imagination as protection, and Black childhood as a site of political possibility. This artwork invites viewers to approach voting not with dread, but with curiosity, play, and collective care. It’s a reminder that even the most whimsical images can hold serious encouragement: stay balanced, stay joyful, and keep moving toward the future you want.

~ Bianca Pastel

Election day is Tuesday, November 3rd!

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Index

• About this Guide
• Voting 101
• Know Your Rights
• Governor and U.S. Senate
• Chicago School Board Elections
• Courts Elections
• Reintegration & Civic Empowerment Act
• Artist Statement

Sometimes you gotta pop out & vote!

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Chicago, IL 60602
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