The world was emerging from Covid. Thousands of events world-wide, including FloydFest, had been canceled. Across The Way Productions, the team that made FloydFest happen, used this breathing space to reimagine their future. A future that included a festival held on land owned by them and developed for the purpose of hosting a world-class music and arts festival.

Just over the horizon in Floyd County sat nearly two hundred acres of land in search of new owners, and maybe a new purpose. A deal was struck, and the dream of what would become FestivalPark began to emerge.

When I learned of this venture I approached the people at Across The Way with a proposal to do a long-term, self directed project documenting the site as it was, and how it was being developed. They agreed and gave me as much access to the site as I wanted. The first couple of times were under the watchful eye of the cattle who still roamed the land, later replaced by big yellow Caterpillars.
As I watched the development unfold I came to appreciate the sensitivity with which it was applied to the land. I contrasted it with most real estate developments where the hills are pushed into the valleys, the topsoil is stripped away, and a plain of soulless concrete spreads as far as the eye wishes to see. But here the land was gently remolded. Elements of the landscape that could be left undisturbed were, becoming important parts. It felt like the the the development was gently laid onto the land, rather than being harshly imposed upon it.

These photographs are a curation of the body of work that emerged from this project. They exist as physical photographic prints rather than images on a computer screen. I printed them using the Kallitype process, one of the ways of printing photographs that were used before Kodak came along and began producing film and paper. The process involves coating high quality water resistant paper with chemicals, preparing a negative the same size as the intended print, exposing the paper and negative to ultraviolet light, and developing and toning the print in platinum and gold for archival permanence.

I framed the photographs that are on display at Barn Bar with frames made by St. Pierre Woodworking from wood salvaged from the renovation of the barn.


Please contact me here if you are interested in purchasing a print. I can produce them in any size from 4x5 up to 16x24 inches, framed or unframed. Just ask for a quote, and thank you for your interest in my work.