Deo Gallery Branding (1920 x 600 px) (6)

Deo Gallery's July Exhibit - "Abandoned"

Local photographer Colleen Maki presents Abandoned: Reconnecting with the U.P's Past on display in the Deo Gallery, located in the CIty of Marquette Arts and Culture Center. Photography has been a passion since I was…

Local photographer Colleen Maki presents Abandoned: Reconnecting with the U.P’s Past on display in the Deo Gallery, located in the CIty of Marquette Arts and Culture Center.

Photography has been a passion since I was a child, as well as discovering new places. Upper Michigan is filled with “ghost towns” and I’ve always had a fascination with these deserted areas. These two interests made for a perfect pandemic project! I could travel and not encounter large groups of people. Often I was completely alone!


I soon discovered that The U.P. is filled with “ghost towns”. Some are quite eerie and completely abandoned, while others still have a fraction of their population. I was intrigued with the visual details as well as the written history of these towns.


I chose to focus on a handful of them for this exhibit. Visiting and photographing these places throughout The U.P. invoked numerous emotions. I felt connections with Old Victoria (Finnish immigrants) and was amazed at how people lived. This is what’s left of their world. It left me wondering how our world will appear 100 years from now. I hope these photos invoke feelings in the people who view them.