EXPERIENTIAL
ELMWOOD ALIGHT
In 2025 I was invited to be creative director of ELMWOOD ALIGHT, a nighttime illumination and activation of Elmwood Cemetery, Detroit’s oldest and most historic cemetery, with light, local artists, projection, music performances, food, drink, and experiences. I brought together Elmwood’s team with my collaborators and artists in the local film and creative communities. All production artists were inspired by the history of Elmwood, its incredible grounds, the opportunity to create a lasting event for the Detroit community, and raise awareness of Elmwood. With key collaborators, I directed the lighting of the vast grounds, and created a projection display from never-before-seen elements drawn from Elmwood’s historic archive. In total, we illuminated 14 acres of the cemetery grounds and .75 miles of paved pathway with over 300 lighting units, hundreds of meters of electrical cable, lanterns, and 4K laser projectors. String musicians filled the cemetery’s historic Chapel with music, lighting artists lit up mausoleums and monuments, and local food and beverage vendors served the crowds. A custom projection show was assembled from documents from Elmwood’s historic archive, and projected on the public mausoleum.
Detroit Torino urban jazz project
Established in 2006 following a meeting between saxophonists Emanuele Cisi (Turin) and Chris Collins (Detroit), the Detroit Torino Urban Jazz Project is a cultural exchange initiative connecting two cities that share a common identity in the collective imagination—defined by the label "industrial," and even more so by the moniker "City of Cars"—both of which have now transitioned into the post-industrial era.
The photographic component of the project entailed documentation by a Detroit-based photographer (myself) focusing on Turin, and by a Turin-based photographer (Piero Ottaviano) focusing on Detroit. On May 9, 2011 at the Teatro Regio, the DTUJP presented the world premiere of a concert performance featuring jazz musicians Emanuele Cisi, Chris Collins, Furio Di Castri, and Sean Dobbins. Accompanied by the Orchestra Filarmonica '900 and by photographs taken by myself and Geoff George, the performance featured two pieces commissioned from composers James Hartway and Carlo Boccadoro.
On May 10, 2011—at the Officine Grandi Riparazioni and as part of the celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of the Italian Republic—a photography exhibition was inaugurated. On display until May 17, the exhibition juxtaposed the two cities through the lens of the two photographers, accompanied by live music performed by an ensemble of students from the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in Turin and Wayne State University—an initiative supported by the Detroit Jazz Festival and Mack Avenue Records, and directed by Chris Collins.
Mirroring these events, a concert and an exhibition were also held in Detroit.