San Francisco, CA—October 29, 2026—California College of the Arts’ (CCA) Creative Citizens in Action Initiative (CCA@CCA) presents Just Crushing: Election Night, a political- issue demolition derby where a fleet of social-issue-themed remote-controlled demolition derby cars designed by local youth and CCA students will face off in a winner-take-all competition that turns political collision into an exercise in destruction, revelry, and community gathering.

Led by CCA alumni artists Allison Rowe and Nancy Nowacek of Working Working Group, more than 40 participants from Gateway High School, Youth Art Exchange, and CCA participated in workshops that used artmaking as a departure point for research, listening, discussion, and collective decision-making. Rather than debating abstract political positions, artists engaged democratic practices directly by designing and constructing derby vehicles together. The finished cars address topics including AI, cost of living, immigration, overconsumption, and climate justice.

On November 3, while Americans follow election returns and political commentary, a different kind of civic spectacle will unfold at CCA when the public is invited to watch cars compete on a course peppered with “Obstacles to Democracy” created by CCA ceramics, sculpture, and architecture students. The obstacles introduce unexpected challenges that mirror the complexities, barriers, and competing interests that shape democratic participation.

“We love how the dual prospects of creative expression and destruction bring artists with different viewpoints together,” says Nowacek. “We’ve seen how centering creativity and public performance encourages young artists to negotiate differences, build consensus, and make concessions. We hope their example reminds us that even amid disagreement, we can still create something together.”

The event is part of Working Working Group’s exhibition Fans of Democracy, on view in the CCA Novack Gallery through November 20th. Fans of Democracy is curated by Jaime Austin and is part of the Deborah and Kenneth Novack Creative Citizens Series. Just Crushing: Election Night builds on a politically themed demolition derby that Rowe and Nowacek developed with teenagers for the Dubuque County Fair in Iowa, July 2025.

Event details

Just Crushing: Election Night
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
5–6:30 pm
California College of the Arts
145 Hooper Street
San Francisco, CA 94107
Free and open to the public.

About Working Working Group

Working Working Group are artists Allison Rowe and Nancy Nowacek (both MFA Social Practice 2011). Their work mixes politics with creative expression, inspiring teens to become passionate participants in democracy.

Allison Rowe is an Iowa-based expanded sculptural artist, educator, and researcher. She works across media and with communities to address topical issues ranging from climate change to maternal labor.

Nancy Nowacek is a Brooklyn-based interdisciplinary artist whose practice spans sculpture, performance, and pedagogy. Many of her projects operate in public space, inviting audiences to reimagine their relationships with the processes and places that govern their daily lives.

About California College of the Arts

Founded in 1907, California College of the Arts (CCA) educates students to shape culture and society through art, architecture, design, and writing. The college offers free public events and exhibitions that engage artists, designers, and the broader public in conversations around contemporary questions. Its interdisciplinary programming provides a space for creative exploration and collaboration across artistic practices. CCA faculty and alumni continue to transform art and design in the Bay Area and beyond.

Press contact

Jaime Austin
[email protected]