New Bedford 6th Grader’s Nautical Artwork Featured on I-195 Voting Billboard

A New Bedford sixth grader is getting a pretty impressive showcase for his artwork with thousands of drivers passing by it every day.

Levi D’Andrade, a sixth-grade student at Nativity Preparatory School in New Bedford, recently had his artwork selected for a billboard encouraging people to vote in the November 3 state election.

The billboard can currently be spotted along Interstate 195 near the Penniman Street exit in New Bedford, featuring Levi’s nautical-themed creation alongside the simple message: “Go Vote.”

Levi Let His Creativity Take Over

Levi joined The MGM Show and explained that students at his school were given the opportunity to enter the contest, and he decided to give it a shot.

New Bedford 6th Grader Levi D’Andrade's Nautical Artwork Featured on I-195 Voting Billboard

“We had free rein,” Levi said. “I looked up a picture of a whale and then I drew off that. I added an anchor behind it, and then to make it look like something you would see and make you want to go vote, I added a banner that said, ‘Go Vote.’”

Even better, Levi said the entire concept was his own. “I thought of all of it on my own,” he said.

READ MORE: Massachusetts 9 Ballot Questions Explained at a 6th Grade Level

He clearly has a creative mind beyond drawing, too. Levi told us that he enjoys building LEGO sets, but rather than always following the directions, he often takes them apart and creates something completely new.

His billboard features a weathered-looking whale, complete with a sailor hat and pipe. When Michael Rock joked that the whale looked a little grumpy, I joked, "Maybe he’s just upset that everyone hasn’t gone out to vote yet."

The fact of the matter is that Levi's hard work paid off and now thousands will see his work.