In “We the People, Sing Our Song,” an art project/“talking comic book” created by Neil Kendricks that explores the concept of democracy through voting and civic participation, the hardest part was finding people who were willing to participate.
“Early in the project’s development, I cast a wide net and approached high schools, distributed flyers at local events, and spoke to local grassroots organizations, along with posting information on social media. Sadly, I barely got any responses,” he says. “Eventually, I turned to friends and family to see if they had any recommendations.”
Starting with his niece, who was 17 at the time, he began to find other people who were willing to speak with him for his project.
“As interview subjects, they were well spoken and thoughtful in their responses to my questions. I wanted to be sure that I featured both native-born and naturalized citizens in the mix,” he says.
The project is currently part of the “Creative Action: Far South/Border North Initiative” exhibition at the San Diego City College Art Gallery, through May 1. Far South/Border North is a two-year regional program providing financial toward work increasing public awareness about public health, environmental conservation, civic engagement, and social justice. Kendricks is one of 60 recipients of the first round of grants for the program, which began in 2022. “We the People” features interviews he conducted with San Diegans and portraits he drew of each person, set to music and sound editing with collaborator and musician Mike Mare, and the design of the 20-page comic by artist Tony Magpantay.
Kendricks, 57, lives in Mira Mesa and is an artist, writer, filmmaker, and educator who teaches five art, comics, and film-related courses at four local institutions (San Diego State University, Grossmont College, Southwestern College, and San Diego Miramar College). He talked about his focus on using his art to talk about democracy and voting because “Let’s face it, whether we like it or not, the ballot box determines many aspects of how we live our lives. Voting and civic engagement are the pillars of democracy, here and elsewhere,” he said. (This interview has been edited for length and clarity. )
Q: When and how did the idea for “We the People, Sing Our Song” first begin to take shape in your mind?
A: The idea for “We the People, Sing Our Song” originated from my drawing, “MLK Takes a Knee (Patriot),” that was among the artworks in my interdisciplinary art exhibition “Temple of Story” (an exhibition at the Oceanside Museum of Art in 2021 and 2022, which combined drawings and storytelling set to music and voice acting, to explore how the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic was changing the world around us). This mixed-media drawing juxtaposes a portrait of the late civil-rights icon taking a knee superimposed over the text from the Declaration of Independence. The completed drawing sparked the idea of a “talking comic book” built around citizens having thoughtful conversations on the state of American democracy at this troubling moment in our nation’s history. I ended up using my “MLK Takes a Knee (Patriot)” drawing as the comic book’s back cover image.
Q: What are some of the things people said about their experiences or perspectives on voting and democracy?
A: I developed “We the People, Sing Our Song” through a non-partisan lens by instructing all participants not to reference any specific candidates by name in order to speak to the larger issues impacting American citizens. The interviews developed organically, touching on a range of topics, like the participants’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, to their thoughts on the failed January 6th insurrection, and why voting is critical to sustain our democracy.
One of the recurrent talking points centered around the individual citizen’s ethical role to our fellow Americans to be active participants in the democratic process, regardless of what political party one might be d with. In fact, I was careful not to ask any of the participants about their specific political party. I wanted to hear what they had to say without bias, especially in our increasingly polarized, political landscape. This way, “We the People, Sing Our Song” is simultaneously grounded in our moment while looking ahead to issues that will continue to resonate in the future. I believe this conscious effort allows my project to not become dated.
Hopefully, the topics will prove to be universal and timeless — what it takes to maintain our democracy from the perspectives of ordinary citizens.
Q: You began working on this project before the 2024 presidential election; in what ways have your own views on these topics (voting, democracy) been shaped/changed/evolved by the outcome of the election and the actions of the current istration?
A: The outcome of the 2024 presidential election revealed disturbing, hard truths about what many Americans value when selecting an individual and a political party to take power. The chaos that we are witnessing on a daily basis is hardly a surprise to anyone with critical thinking skills who is paying attention.
As an American citizen who loves our country, I think about questions that do not have any easy answers: How do we build a shared path forward for our republic when so many Americans don’t share the same vision of reality? How do we restore trust in our government when many of our immigrant friends who have committed no crimes find themselves living in fear? How does our society push back against the bottomless pit of conspiracy theories, bigotry, and intolerance to create common ground where all American citizens feel welcome and included in our national conversation?
As a proud American and a contemporary artist, I aspire to create works that speak to our times. Art is about asking questions with artistry and vision. The non-fiction dialogue and images of “We the People, Sing Our Song” and the fictional works in “Temple of Story” deal with what it means to be human in our tumultuous, fractured times. As a society, I hope we find the moral courage and political will to have honest, intelligent, lucid, and thought-provoking conversations about our nation’s history, including the legacy of slavery, while being cognizant of our shared and intertwined destiny as citizens with much at stake. I believe the process of asking these questions and sharing with one another are positive steps, albeit baby steps toward building the “more perfect union” described in the preamble of the United States Constitution. To say we have a lot of work to do is a vast understatement. We must find common ground and build community by tackling these questions together with civility, honesty, and a willingness to recognize and appreciate our common humanity.
Q: In a previous interview about “Temple of Story,” you said, “I’ve always been aware that in times of crisis, this is when really interesting and powerful art emerges. … I feel that this is our role right now. It’s not to simply help people escape, but rather to wrap our heads around this experience through creativity, too.” How are you using your creativity to wrap your head around what is currently happening?
A: My creative process is an evolving work-in-progress. We are in the eye of the tornado and no one knows what is going to happen next. For me, drawing and writing keep me balanced and centered; the creative process is my com for navigating the world amidst its complexity and contradictions. Many of my drawings and short stories in my ongoing “Temple of Story” project (that I hope will one day become a book) offer social commentary through the lens of speculative fiction. My creativity enables me to build inner worlds to share my point of view. I am not interested in creating pretty pictures without context and connection to the human condition at large.
Sometimes, I work on a piece to resolve a specific idea; to experiment with a concept to see what happens. Whether they are drawings, short stories, or a short film, you have to send artworks out into the world to find an audience to complete the circle.
Q: “We the People, Sing Our Song,” was also picked up by educators at Crawford High School as a template for students to participate in an art project exploring the same topics of voting and democracy. Their drawings are also on display on the second floor of the Central Library. What’s your response to their work?
A: I was honored that Crawford High School asked me to present “We the People, Sing Our Song” in a workshop for their students, especially since many of them were about to turn 18 and cast their votes for the first time in 2024. Last fall, I gave a talk as part of a workshop where students interviewed one another with the goal of creating portraits and answering questions about one another with my project as a guide. The most memorable part of the process was watching several students put away their cellphones with prepared questions and just speak to one another face-to-face, without mediating their responses through technology.
In my pedagogy as an artist and educator, I emphasize creativity while building old-school community without being distracted by phones. Alas, the act of being fully present and open to authentic human connections is a tall order in today’s world, bombarded by a whirlwind of electronic distractions. I believe when students allow themselves to truly see and listen to one another as fellow human beings, this presence of mind enables folks to become the change that they want to see in the world. The future will eventually be in their hands; they need to start now. I hope the workshop and their version of “We the People, Sing Our Song” proves to be a transformative experience.
Q: What does it mean to you that this kind of response to your work exists in this way?
A: Any kind of thoughtful and authentic response to art is meaningful. I am blessed to witness people engaging with my drawings and the audio recordings with music at both “25 Years of The Drawing Show,” on view at the San Diego Central Library’s Judith Harris Art Gallery through June 15, and the prints from “We the People, Sing Our Song.” Once the shows come down, however, I will roll up my sleeves and get back to work. I always have a sketchbook to record ideas or the beginning of a new short story. The leap of faith is believing in the process and nurturing an idea as it takes root and blossoms. The adventure continues.
