With the elections quickly approaching, this year more than ever, students, faculty members and universities are banding together to express their political interests.

Earlier this month, the "I Decide" Harvard University T-shirt campaign hit campus and encouraged students to vote.

And with political stickers and buttons all over students' backpacks, books and clothing, it is only appropriate that some of the faculty would begin to express their opinions as well.

From now until Nov. 2 at the Zoller Gallery, the School of Visual Arts will be exhibiting In a Voting Year, a collection of politically oriented pieces done by the faculty of the school.

"It's funny how it came about. The faculty committee met last spring and I asked what they thought about doing a thematic show," Michelle Tillander (graduate-art education) said.

"Someone said 'in a voting year' and I said that's a great title and then we proposed it at the meeting."

Pieces in the exhibit include everything from sculptures, paintings and photography to electronic works.

"There is a variety from subtle to more overt works," Tillander said.

Associate to the Director of the School of Visual Arts James Thurman's piece is one of the more subtle works. His piece, Persian Degredation, consists of three disc-like structures made from old maps.

"They are recycled maps from the maps library on campus of what is historically known as Persia," Thurman said. "It's made of layers of paper glued together with epoxy glue and then made on a wood-turning lathe, which is used for round wooden objects."

In a different approach, Cristin Millett, associate professor of art, did a much larger and more provocative piece.

Millett's work, Obstetrical Phantom (Suffragist), is a voting booth, which actually allows the audience to vote using a human pelvis, and anatomical models.

"I've studied medical history in the past and so I based the piece on an obstetrical phantom which is used to study the lower torso of a body and has interchangeable sex parts," Millett said. "The ability to assign gender to that form is interesting. I wanted to do something that related to how we interpret gender."

Carlos Rosas' piece was wearable and not so conservative either.

Rosas designed a limited edition set of about 125 pins and downloadable posters with the message, "Stop dub Bush S---."

The poster can be found at Rosas' Web site, www.overtheedge.net/stopdubposter.

"In a Voting Year is a reflection of the election and where we are in terms of society," Millett said.

The exhibition features works from 18 Visual Arts School faculty members. A closing reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday in Zoller Gallery.