One big struggle that Detroit dealt with for years was its lack of streetlights throughout the city. How safe can we be in the dark? What impact does lighting have on the quality of life for the residents of the neighborhoods? A project with the College for Creative Studies photography students, sponsored by the Public Lighting Authority, documents the final phase of LED light installation in neighborhoods around the city. CCS shared some of their work with Curbed and it will be on display for the public soon.
They started in areas where lights were not yet installed or where portable lights were being used, so they could return when lights went in. They also made a list of important facets of city life that needed to be included: schools, churches, bus stops, gas stations, businesses, apartments, important landmarks, neighborhoods (small, large, struggling, affluent, streets filled with homes, streets with only 1 or 2 homes, or none). Here’s a gallery of some of the work from the students through the lens of social documentary photography.
The students will exhibit their work downtown at the Lighting of the Last Light Ceremony on December 15th, 2016 and to the CCS/PLA communities in the U245 Gallery on December 16th, 2016.
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