All That Remains Opens Doors to Abandoned Asylums

Upton-Mendon Town Crier
January 2018

The public is invited to attend All That Remains, a free presentation by Connecticut photographer
Robert Marsala, on January 19 at 7 p.m. at Alternatives’ Singh Performance Center, 60 Douglas
Rd., Whitinsville, with a rain date of January 26. Drawing on nearly four decades of photographing
abandoned buildings, Marsala will discuss the ethics, photography techniques, and safety tactics involved
in what he refers to as “extreme location photography.”

Driven by a passion for history and an education in human services, Marsala has made it a priority
to research every facility he photographs. His commentary will help the audience understand how
organizations founded with good intentions evolve in ways that were contrary to the mission of caring
for people with disabilities. He will also share his fondness and respect for the neglected sites he
has toured. “We have to show respect for not only the building, but also the people who called these
places home, all those who lived and died there,” he says. “There is inherent beauty in how nature
takes over.”

Before and after the talk, the Heritage Gallery at Whitin Mill will be open, showing Bringing Light
to the Darkness, an exhibit of photos of abandoned institutions by Mike and Joanne Zeis. For more
information, contact Cristi Collari at 508-234-6232 or Cristi.Collari@AlternativesNet.org.