2020 Census Project
CD Forum's 2020 Census Project follows the journey of Seattle based artists Randy Ford, Perri Rhoden, and Michael B. Maine as they create, assemble and discuss works that ask what it means to be visible. The first piece of the 2020 Census Project is a series of portraits by renowned photographer Michael B. Maine. The images highlight local artists and their testimonies on the importance of the 2020 Census.
In addition to the portrait series, the project includes a virtual archive of materials gathered of new and existing works by Randy Ford & Perri Rhoden. Ford and Rhoden also engaged in casual discussions about how Covid-19 and the racial and social unrest following the murder of George Floyd has affected the ways art is created and presented. This project focuses on the possibility of process by establishing a virtual archive in place of a live performance.
CD Forum's 2020 Census Project is curated by marco farroni.
click on box to access commissioned artists work.
 "The ideas of communities counting themselves so you know who is here, but most importantly who isn't here is information that we need for a functioning society. Standing in our personhood and saying to our government, our civic leaders, our business leaders and say no I'm here, you have to count me, you have to pay attention, is a beautiful and direct type of protest. That is why filling out the census is really important to me." |  "To me to be visible as a black woman, as an artist is for my experiences to be seen & validated and for people to have access to me as a person and as as an artist especially in a city like Seattle, where visibility has to be in the forefront of peoples minds because a lot of the times if you are not seen you do not get opportunities... Its important to get counted." |  "we matter, we often walk around so invisible. we try to hide ourselves because people tell us there are certain parts of ourselves that we can not expose or be proud of, visibility is accepting who you are and knowing you have the right to be seen and appreciated for who you are… its important to be counted because we as black people do so much for this country, world." |
|---|---|---|
 “visibility is being seen, being heard and being known.” |  "As a multi-intersectional person, a lot of identities tend to be left out in certain spaces and so when i get to be in a space where i don't have to put anything on a coat hanger and then enter the space I'm just like oh my god this is what it means to be visible, to be very fully seen. To be visible is safety and thats why is important to be counted so that people see these experiences exist and that systems, things, resources need to be re-distributed because these people have been existing." |  “as a black women in America, our society isn't built for our voices to be showcased, every opportunity that we can get to show up for our people it is important for us to do so, so that we can see one another thrive and inspire in order to pave the way for the next generation… its important to be part of the census so that we have the facts, so we could get counted. There is fear in being visible, but this data can be used to help our community.” |
 “its important to be counted because i was here… Being seen in the ways i want to be seen and that applies to other people and just the concept of visibility overall.” |
Artists in Thought
June 2020 | Randy Ford & Perri Rhoden
August 2020 | Perri Rhoden, Randy Ford, mf
(click ---> for sound)
