Witt Siasoco and Carry on Homes 2020 census events in the Arts District

Creative CityMaking (CCM) is proud to support CCM artist Witt Siasoco and the Carry on Homes team (and winners of the Creative City Challenge) to extend their programming for the 2020 Census. CCM funding supported the team’s September events in Northeast Minneapolis, where they engaged community members about the importance of completing the 2020 Census. Updated NEWS a federal judge U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh overturned the attempt to cut off the Census, so now they have until Oct. 31 to complete the count.

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Carry on Homes’ mission is dedicated to telling the stories of immigrants and refugees in the USA through art. Carry on Homes creates spaces for immigrants and marginalized communities to feel a sense of belonging and empowerment. They did just that in Northeast Minneapolis with NE artist Witt Siasoco, as part of a public awareness campaign to complete the 2020 Census before the September 30th deadline.

Data gathered from the 2020 Census will determine federal, state, and local allocations of funding and other resources to the Northeast Minneapolis community over the next ten years. Therefore, it is crucial that everyone is counted. The Carry On Homes team and Witt Siasoco created an art installation and a series of artmaking drop-in activities at the corner of Lowry and Central Avenues to highlight the importance of immigrant communities’ participation in the Census. Participants created flags that were added to the community art installation. Information was provided on how to complete the census form.

Currently, Minneapolis is at a 72.6% self-response rate. According to the City of Minneapolis’s Census Under Counted Map, undercounting will result in some of the city’s poorest communities from receiving resources. To combat this, the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy have partnered with local artists to get the word out to undercounted communities.