By Caroline Corrigan and Ira Marks.

We wanted our arts award project, called “Shine a Light,” to share some truths and experiences from people who are personally and professionally invested in the buildings highlighted by Breathing Lights. As designers with a love for print, we wanted to create something tactile that people could bring home with them. We settled on a foldout booklet that was economical to print many, but classy enough that it didn’t feel disposable.

We saw this as an opportunity to have a voice in the Breathing Lights project and a chance to explore what was going on behind the scene of these buildings. We started our research by reaching out to Albany, Troy and Schenectady’s housing development organizations including the Albany County Land Bank and the Troy Rehabilitation and Improvement Program (TRIP) and quickly became inspired by all the good people behind the scenes working hard to preserve and revive the buildings that, to a passer-by, would seem beyond hope.

Through our experience as artists (and homeowners!) who love and admire the unique architecture throughout our region, Shine A Light became our own little soapbox for us to stand on and shout “There’s much more to these buildings that what you think you see!”

For a free copy of Shine a Light, contact Project Director judie@breahtinglights.com.

Caroline is an Albany based graphic designer working with a variety of businesses and organizations in Upstate New York. She is also a co-founder of The Half Moon Market, a two-day indie handmade marketplace in Albany. Caroline has previously worked at The Arts Center of the Capital Region and was a co-owner of Fort Orange General Store.

Ira is a Troy based artist and educator. He the author of a graphic novel, Witch Knots, and an illustrated novel, The Aquarium Drift. His work has earned him a collaboration with Vimeo founder, Jake Lodwick, an interview in the PBS series ‘A House for Arts’ and a thoughtful blog post from comic theorist and Understanding Comics author, Scott McCloud. He has also presented his teaching work at the National Art Education Convention.