One of the highlights of voting —aside from doing your civic duty and making a difference in your community on a local, state, and federal level — is getting an “I voted” sticker. It’s OK to admit that you love getting the sticker. We all do. It’s a little bit of proof that you did your part.
One of the best things about those stickers is how they vary from place to place. Designers use local flair and cultural signifiers to add just a little bit extra.
In short: The appeal of the “I voted” sticker isn’t lost on anyone. So that explains why some people in Louisiana aren’t happy with how the state went about selecting its new design.
There’s nothing wrong with it on the surface. It features the mother pelican on the state’s seal and flag. The issue isn’t with the art. It’s with the artist.
Sec. Ardoin is proud to present the new "I Voted" sticker design, with artwork by talented Louisiana artist Becky Fos. pic.twitter.com/Xl7LuAQhWA
— Louisiana Secretary of State (@Louisiana_sos) August 7, 2023
Apparently Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin selected artist Becky Fos for this design, having previously used her in 2022, and local artists and organizations in Louisiana are upset that the state didn’t spread the search more.
“This is an incredibly rich state when it comes to culture and the arts — we are not wanting for quality artists, but sometimes we are wanting for support for quality artists,”Jason Andreasen, president/CEO at Baton Rouge Gallery-Center for Contemporary Art, told The Advocate. “”The overwhelming wealth of artistic talent we have in the state gives plenty of opportunity for artists from any corner of the state to share in that opportunity of the ‘I voted’ sticker.”
Andreasen went on to say that the level of exposure that being selected for this sticker is invaluable to an artist, especially considering they do it on a volunteer basis.
The state, however, is sticking with Fos’ drawing.
There aren’t too many lessons here for distributors other than to remember that sometimes, even when everything on the surface is perfect and seemingly unimpeachable, there will still sometimes be criticism. And that’s OK. Andreasen makes a valid point that the state has plenty of artists that it could have used for stickers.
Really, the lesson here is to never underestimate the power of a good sticker.
