One year ago today the documentary I directed Clay, Creativity & the Comeback premiered inside one of the historic factories showcased in the film (Medalta Potteries) and was then released to the public. Resulting in some amazing connections over the last twelve months, the project has now reached hundreds of thousands of people on various platforms across Canada.
Clay, Creativity & the Comeback is the story of how the factories and abandoned ruins of a once booming industrial clay district were saved from demolition and renewed through the work of artists, volunteers, and a community with a vision.
Shot in my hometown of Medicine Hat, Alberta this was a story that I felt echoed one of the challenges that communities across Canada are continually facing. How do you preserve heritage while also adapting historic sites for renewed purposes? What does that even look like? And who are the people that make these visions a reality?
Clay, Creativity & the Comeback is a documentary that captures the first hand stories of many of the individuals directly involved in this decades long transformation - a transformation that lead a collection of crumbling structures to not just be saved or restored, but to become a National Historic Site of Canada that would welcome artists from around the world.
The entire feature length documentary is FREE to watch and has been posted on Editing Luke. View Clay, Creativity & the Comeback here.
Located in New York City, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum commemorates the attacks of September 11, 2001 and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
The 9/11 Memorial, consisting of two pools outlining the footprints of the WTC towers, opened to the public in 2011 and provides a meaningful opportunity to reflect on those who lost their lives and the events surrounding this defining moment in modern history.
Between May 1 and August 31 I released over 125 new images from around Medicine Hat and Southeast Alberta as part of my daily "hometown series" inspired by the 2020 lockdown.
The project was always intended to be a distraction and creative escape while travel restrictions kept me in one spot. What I never expected was the unprecedented reach that would come from these casual daily updates on the Editing Luke Facebook page. Just to give you an idea, the organic reach of the project had already surpassed one million back in July. Never underestimate the power of a cool abandoned spot, a cinematic prairiescape, or an epic sunset.
While I won't say the series is completely over, I am taking a more relaxed pace heading into the fall as I figure out what the rest of the year might look like.
In addition to the numerous prints that came out over the last few months, I've released this summer 2020 collage to feature some of the series highlights. Feel free to inquire if you're interested in purchasing one.
While this project undoubtedly snowballed from what I originally imagined, it's rewarding to reflect on how productive this downtime ended up being. As a reminder - this is where this started.
If there's one thing we can say about 2020 - we're going to have stories.
