Resources

Here are some resources for artists who want to increase their effectiveness in making social change and defending our democracy.

The Center for Artistic Activism helps people use creativity and culture to affect power. It provides trainings, conducts research, and offers creative strategy advising.

Fall of Freedom is an urgent call to the arts community to unite in defiance of authoritarian forces sweeping the nation. It invites artists and arts organizations to participate in nationwide acts of creative resistance.

For Freedoms deepens civic engagement through the arts. It provides artists, institutions, and communities a decentralized space for connection and tools to support their creative capacity and resilience as cultural producers.

Minnesota hip hop artist, poet, and educator Kyle “Guante” Tran Myre offers free writing prompts, trainings, and other resources for artists who want to show up and engage.

We Create was founded by artist and illustrator Tracie Ching to empower the creative community through meaningful connection and mentorship. It supports the success of creative professionals, with a special emphasis on emerging talent.

Here are resources for advocates seeking free, easy-to-download artwork with social movement messages to use in their campaigns.

Amplifier is a nonprofit media lab building campaigns to amplify the most important movements of our times – by any medium necessary. Amplifier makes its artworks available for free download as long as it’s for non-commercial use.

Justseeds Artists Cooperative is a decentralized network of artists committed to social, environmental, and political engagement. The artists offer a selection of free, high-resolution downloadable graphics for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license.

ACLU-Texas: Artist in residence Vincent Valdez (a contributing artist to The Art of Saving Democracy) has illustrated a series of drawings available as free downloads. The New Americans documents faces and scenes of resistance across Texas and the US.

Art of Saving Democracy Event Hosting Kit: A key activist principle: If you want people to show up, throw a fun party! Civic activism doesn’t need to be dull or feel like a chore. Use the materials included in The Art of Saving Democracy and the event kit to create a fun, engaging, and change-making event for your community.

One of the best ways to defend democracy is to actively participate in it. Every one of us can take meaningful steps—large and small—to participate in civic life. Here are a few ideas and resources to get started.

VOTE: Voting is one of the most powerful ways to shape our collective future. Visit Vote.gov or your state’s election office to check your voter registration, request an absentee ballot, and access other key election resources.

GET HELP WITH VOTING: If you or someone you know encounters barriers and needs help at any step of the voting process—registering, casting a ballot, or ensuring it’s counted—support is available. Connect with a trained volunteer through the Election Protection Hotline.

• English: 866-OUR-VOTE

• Spanish/English: 888-VE-Y-VOTA

• Arabic/English: 844-YALLA-US

• Asian Languages/English: 888-API-VOTE

GET HELP WITH VOTER ID LAWS: VoteRiders helps to reduce ID-related barriers to the ballot box with voter education, direct assistance to help voters navigate bureaucracies to secure needed identification, and advocacy against ID laws. Learn more about what ID laws are in place in your state so you can come to the polling site prepared.

VOLUNTEER TO PROTECT ELECTIONS: You don’t need a legal background to make a difference. While lawyers, paralegals, and law students are especially needed, anyone can train to serve as a nonpartisan election protection volunteer anywhere in the U.S. Learn how to get involved.

WORK AT A POLL SITE: Poll workers keep elections running smoothly. They reduce wait times and help voters navigate the process. These are paid, nonpartisan roles, and some states hire workers as young as 16 or 17. To get started, visit the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.

REGISTER NEW VOTERS: Host a voter registration event in-person or virtually with guides provided by groups like Rock the Vote.

TEACH KIDS ABOUT VOTING RIGHTS: Social Justice Books, a project of Teaching for Change, offers recommendations on books about the history of voting rights and why voting matters. Their carefully curated resource lists include filters by format and reading level.

ENGAGE TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS: Protect Democracy offers a Gen Z toolkit. Most states offer teens a way to pre-register to vote well before they turn 18, which would make for a perfect project for an after school Democracy Club!

RECOGNIZE THE SIGNS OF AUTHORITARIANISM: Longtime democracy champion Stacey Abrams has started the 10 Steps Campaign to teach us to understand the authoritarian playbook and offer a variety of opportunities for us to “recognize it, resist it, and reverse it.”

There are many good books on fascism, tyranny and authoritarianism. For a primer, Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny and Jason Stanley’s How Fascism Works are two good books to check out.

SHOW SOLIDARITY AGAINST VOTER INTIMIDATION: Learn about potential election interference from our own federal government, including a scenario where armed agents are stationed near polling places. This is when showing up with our neighbors in large numbers becomes essential to push back on any intimidation or threat of violence.

ATTEND CANDIDATE FORUMS: Nonpartisan civic organizations like the League of Women Voters often host candidate forums and produce voter guides. Find your local state chapter to stay on top of upcoming events.

CALL CONGRESS: Elected officials pay attention when enough of their constituents speak up. Use Congress.gov to identify your members of Congress, or try the 5 Calls app, which makes it easy to contact your elected officials with issue summaries and suggested scripts.

SHOP YOUR VALUES: Our purchasing choices can reflect our civic values. The Center for Responsive Politics and Goods Unite Us allow you to research political donations made by corporations and their executives, helping you make informed decisions about where to spend your money.

SUBSCRIBE TO CREDIBLE, INDEPENDENT NEWS SOURCES: Democracies rely on a healthy fact-based information ecosystem and accurate, high-quality reporting on community needs and social and policy debates. Support local public media and subscribe to news outlets that keep us informed and hold the powerful accountable.

FIND AND SHARE USEFUL FACTS: The truth needs to be louder than the lies, and that depends on all of us. Counter the flood of misinformation meant to intimidate people and suppress voting by providing accurate information. Election Line and Votebeat are among the reliable sources available.

SHARE YOUR PERSPECTIVE: In private conversations, on social media, and in public meetings, the voices and lived experiences of everyday folks matter. Offer your first-hand testimony to the injustices you’re seeing or experiencing, and recount how they impact you and your community.

For those who want to go further, write and submit a letter to the editor or an opinion piece to your newspapers. The OpEd Project helps people develop and place opinion pieces in media outlets, offering workshops, coaching, and media lists to amplify diverse voices in public conversations.

PROTEST AND KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: Historically, major social movements have successfully used nonviolent mass protests to gain media attention and public support for their cause. Understand your rights—and their limits—with this Know Your Rights guide from the ACLU.

FIGHT CENSORSHIP: Democracy requires that we understand our nation’s full history and have the right to express our views. With book bans and censorship on the rise in local school districts, libraries, museums and elsewhere, here’s a toolkit on how to talk about censorship and organize against it.

GET TRAINED IN NONVIOLENT DIRECT ACTION AND NON-COOPERATION: Freedom Trainers offers free virtual workshops and recorded trainings on a variety of topics to prevent democratic backsliding, such as how to exert economic pressure on corporate enablers.

SUPPORT DEMOCRACY ORGANIZATIONS: Many nonprofit organizations work year-round to protect voting rights, strengthen civic participation, and defend democratic institutions. Consider supporting local organizations in your state that advance these goals. National organizations such as People For the American Way also offer resources, policy insights, and opportunities for civic-minded individuals to take meaningful action together.

GIVE THE GIFT OF INSPIRATION: Conversations with friends, family, and colleagues are often where civic engagement begins. If you find the art and ideas in The Art of Saving Democracy appealing, consider sharing the action kit—or gifting a copy—to others who may be looking for inspiration.

Black History Month Coloring Book: Across the country, Black history is being removed from museums, classrooms, and public spaces. This free coloring book honors Black American leaders and keeps their legacy alive. Print and share this essential part of the American story widely. Download here↓

“Remember to Dream” Digital Wallpaper by Carrie Mae Weems: Make space for hope—and for dreaming of a more just future where every voice matters. This inspiring design is available as digital wallpaper in a range of sizes for a variety of devices. Download the wallpaper to keep the dream in view.

“Let Equality Bloom” Coloring Page: Botanical artist Brooke Fischer created this art piece for the Women’s March on Washington as a way of thanking all women who have fought for our right to vote. The piece has since been used by Amplifier in schools and rallies, and it has been displayed in Times Square and the Sunset Strip. She offers this piece as a free coloring page for kids and adults alike. Download here.