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If there’s anything this past election has shown us, it’s that there is more than one way to protest. Those who disagree with budget cuts to the NEA have taken to the streets to hold marches. They’ve written to their state representatives. They’ve made countless phone calls to government officials. And yet, they still feel like their voices aren’t being heard.
That’s where Artifax comes in. Artifax is protesting budget cuts to the NEA by faxing hundreds of pieces of artwork to members of Congress.
“The National Endowment for the Arts is under attack and it’s time to do something about it,” a statement from the Artifax website reads. “We’re faxing our elected officials about why the arts matter.”
Those who are interested in creating their own, customized message can do so through the Artifax website. Artifax has a variety of different templates to choose from, with plenty of room to write a personalized message.
Better yet, the process is simple and quick. Don’t know who your state representatives are? Just punch in your zip code and Artifax will provide you with a list of representatives to choose from.
But it still begs the question: why fax rather than write an email or place a phone call? A statement from the Artifax website answers this question in full:
“Calling Congress is important. The aspect of human, direct contact that phone calls provide make them much more impactful than emails, which can be easy for staffers to ignore. Voicemails get full, and faxes still have that material impact that commands attention; they’re physical, and inconveniencing, and that’s what it takes to convey an impactful message to your representatives.”
Never underestimate the power of the collective voice. When enough people speak out about an issue, it certainly does make a difference. Just take a look at what happened with the latest health care bill.