The world will know who the 44th president of the United States will be on Wednesday. While people will be preparing for the occasion, one UA student has taken her passion for the event and crafted a unique blend of metal, plexiglass and plywood for the sculpture “”Democracy.”” Senior Tina Notaro answered a few questions from the Daily Wildcat.
What was your inspiration for the sculpture?
My inspiration for the sculpture was to provide a way for people to have conversations about what it means to be a voter and what it means to live in a democracy, and how your voice is heard in a democratic country and how you make social change … I wanted people to be able to talk about those things.
What does the election mean to you?
For me, it’s a really important election. I think it’s really historically important. I think it’s always important to vote, (and) voting shouldn’t be the only thing that people do. … Your voice should be heard through your vote, but it’s also important to be active in the community to support your beliefs for social change.
How long did it take to create?
I put a lot of hours into it; I had about 10 days to work on it. It was commissioned by the director of Dinnerware gallery … and I only had 10 days to do it. … Sometimes I was working 10-hour days and I also had to keep up with exams and study; it was a labor-intensive project. When he commissioned it, he had seen a sculpture in the New York Times of a voting both on the street in New York he said would you like to createsomething like that for Tucson?
What is the importance of student involvement in the election?
I think that student involvement is huge; there is a large student population in Tucson (and) the state of Arizona. The fact that we have students with the wrong type of identification to vote on the day is a problem. I think that students’ vote is crucial, and I think it’s really important for students to vote.