Cedric “Vise1” Douglas has a lot to be proud of. The day after Christmas, the social interventionalist and alum of the 2019 Creative Community Fellows program proposed to his partner Julia Roth in front of a mural he’d secretly completed in the days leading up to the big event – she said yes, by the way! Based out of Quincy, MA, the two public artists are also partners professionally, having collaborated on projects including a mural celebrating the a diverse community of nearby Cambridge, street memorials honoring victims of police brutality, and the Up Truck, a mobile art lab that engages communities and promotes social intervention.
Most recently Cedric has been involved in the People’s Memorial Project, an initiative that began this past spring during nationwide protests against white supremacy following the police killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and other Black Americans. As statues commemorating individuals who contributed to the oppression of Black Americans began to come down across the United States, a lot of pedestal real estate became available. Cedric and a team of artists began to ask how that space could be utilized to honor the underrepresented, everyday people. Enter the People’s Memorial Project, a pop-up projection mapping installation which addresses the debate around controversial public monuments.
This past year was historically tumultuous throughout the world. Now in 2021, activists are asking themselves how they can build on their progress after attention has begun to wane. The People’s Memorial Project has received a glowing response from the community, but Cedric and his team must now consider questions on the project’s funding, growth, and ensuring it maintains its authenticity. Likewise, the Up Truck has the capacity to assist underrepresented communities in addressing the economic, skill-building, creative health and wellness, and racial inequity challenges they face, but it must first secure new funding.
For Cedric, there is a lot to be hopeful about besides his engagement. Being a part of Creative Community Fellows introduced him to some incredible cultural trailblazers and he’s eager to connect with even more members of the NAS community this year. Through sharing resources, feedback, and bringing each other’s work together, Cedric is excited to have conversations with other leaders around opportunities to collaborate and bring the People’s Memorial Project and his other initiatives to new communities. Want to start a conversation? Drop him a line at cedricdouglasdesign@gmail.com.
