NEW YORK—Today, the United States is moving “forward.” President Obama won a close race for the White House last night with CNN calling the election for Obama at 11:18 p.m. After a hard fought campaign against Republican candidate Mitt Romney, Obama secured at least 303 electoral votes to Romney’s 206. The President clinched victories in the key battleground states of Virginia, Ohio, Iowa, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Nevada and Colorado, and maintained a narrow lead in Florida, where votes continue to be counted.
Shortly before 1 a.m., Romney conceded and at about 1:35 Obama walked on stage with his family to Stevie Wonder’s “Sign, Sealed and Delivered I’m Yours,” giving a rousing re-election speech before a lively crowd in Chicago.
He began by thanking every American who voted in the election—whether they held a Romney sign or an Obama sign. Because of you, he said, I return to the White House more inspired and determined than ever before.
“The task of perfecting our union moves forward. It moves forward because of you,” Obama said. “We are an American family and we will rise and fall together as one nation and one people.”
I was not a big fan of all of the negative ads that dominated the presidential race, but I have always appreciated how inspiring Obama’s leadership has been to artists and designers.
In 2008 and 2012, the creative community was very supportive of Obama. Artists and designers helped fuel Obama’s campaigns through fundraising initiatives that this time around included special fine art prints, limited-edition portraits by Chuck Close, and celebrity designed t-shirts.
In that same artful spirit, the following is a brief series of tributes to Obama spotted around Washington and New York.
Have you seen great art depicting President Obama? Please comment and share.
All photos © Arts Observer
“No. 44,” 2012 (mixed media) by Brian Toile at CRG Gallery in New York. According to the gallery, “Barack Obama’s ‘coif’ is comprised of a collector’s set of all of the presidential figures preceding him, which was purchased by the artist on eBay.”
Portraits of President Obama on maps in storefront window of Pulp, a Washington store that sells “cool cards and gifts.”
President Obama featured with other black leaders (Malcolm X, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr.) on a 125th Street mural by Franco the Great, who has been painting security gates in Harlem for decades.
At the H Street Festival in Washington, a vendor wears his support for President Obama.
In the New York’s Chelsea gallery district on West 25th Street, between 10th and 11th avenues, an occupant displays support for President Obama.
Installed by Murals DC, a mural on the side of Ben’s Chili Bowl honors its favored patrons—President Obama, along with Bill Cosby, (and in the shadow further down the alley) local radio DJ Donnie Simpson and Chuck Brown, the “godfather” of Go-Go music.