About the Medalta Documentary

I have social media to thank for reminding me that two years ago this week I completed "that Medalta documentary" called Clay, Creativity & the Comeback. Late 2019 only feels like 5 years ago given the weird time loop we've all been in, but as I'm currently in the middle of finalizing several new contracts it's exciting to look back at a project that by all accounts was a success.

As a quick recap, this doc tells the story of the industrial ruins and abandoned factories of a once booming clay industry in a small prairie city and how a group of volunteers helped to transform the area into a National Historic Site of Canada through efforts that spanned decades.

I think more people have found this documentary in the last year as a result of having more time, but I also attribute it to more house cleaning and organizing. No joke, the number of messages I've received about this documentary because someone found a random piece of pottery that lead to them discovering this film is amazing.

While I really don't have more to say about this project that I haven't already said in previous posts, I'm always happy to recount what a great experience it was and have a reason to share it again. Given the incredible amount of work that went into this and all of the efforts from so many amazing individuals, I will gladly keep promoting it. 

The entire documentary is free to view online here.    

Clay, Creativity, and the Comeback: Official Poster

After a year and a half since its premiere, I've finally added a framed poster of Clay, Creativity, and the Comeback - the feature length documentary I directed in 2019 - to my office wall. 

The documentary chronicles how the abandoned factories of a century old clay industry were saved and revitalized over a decades long journey involving countless devoted individuals. Clay, Creativity, and the Comeback is a story about heritage, reinvention, rebuilding an Alberta landmark that would become a National Historic Site of Canada, and the years of effort involved in uncovering the stories hidden inside the industrial ruins that many deemed unsavable. 

Filmed on location in the historic clay district in my hometown of Medicine Hat, Alberta - the entire documentary, produced with the support of Telus, is free to watch online here.

 

Gold Dome in Oklahoma City | Route 66

Built in 1958, the Gold Dome in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma is a notable landmark along Route 66 that was inspired by the geodesic dome designed by famed architect, Buckminster Fuller. Originally housing the Citizens State Bank, the Gold Dome was praised for its revolutionary design from its inception and was touted as "the bank of tomorrow". 

While the structure has seen a variety of occupants since it was constructed, its unique architecture has fueled several decades worth of efforts to revitalize the historic property. These preservations efforts are still ongoing today with the hopes that visitors can continue to admire the iconic Gold Dome on their road trips through Oklahoma City for years to come.    

Tower Theatre in OKC.

Abandoned Cinema: Inside the Towne Theatre

Earlier this month I returned to the abandoned movie theatre I frequented as a teenager after learning that the interior had been pretty much gutted since my last visit. 

Back in 2013, I first photographed the abandoned Towne Theatre in downtown Medicine Hat, Alberta. At that time the movie theatre had already been vacant for years, but the interior was still pretty much intact. With its concession, theatre seats, and signage still in place, the Towne in 2013 was still a cinema that many would have recognized. That's not exactly the case today.

With the property having been on the market for years, and both the Monarch and Esplanade theatres just a few blocks away, the likelihood of the Towne Theatre ever becoming a working movie theatre again seems highly unlikely - regardless of how many nostalgia fueled posts leave people wishing they could go back to see one of their favourite movies here again. 

The lobby.

The evolution of this space has actually been a slow transition as there have been a few rumblings over the years that something might happen. While some may be saddened by the changes, I think keeping the theatre interior, as interesting as it was to explore, only further kept the property in limbo as it made it incredibly difficult to picture the space as anything else. 

Only time will tell what the future holds for the former Towne Theatre. In the meantime, I'm left with a greater appreciation for the previous images I shot in this old movie theatre and a renewed excitement for what it might look like when I find myself back here again someday.

A vacant main theatre.

A few tiles remain where the ticket booth stood at the entrance.

A now completely empty projection room.

Where the concession once was.

Former offices.

Theatre seats piled in the upper cinemas.

 

Roy's Cafe in Amboy, California | Route 66

Located along a remote stretch of old Route 66, Roy's Cafe and Motel is a notable roadside attraction in the ghost town of Amboy, California. 

With all the characteristics of a quintessential mid-century pit stop, the location is now more of an art installation than a bustling roadside business. Most of the surrounding buildings are abandoned in Amboy, however it's enough of a draw to attract a trickle of onlookers who are willing to pull off this rough stretch of the Mother Road to have a look around.