Breathing Life into Leftovers

Madeline Cartier. Lawrence Marek. Sister Marie Ursuline. Frank Coles. 

These names might not be familiar to you, but their beings — or rather, their things — have been immortalized in Jon Crispin’s The Willard Suitcases which is set to arrive at Art & Soul Gallery on November 5. 

The story of the suitcases begins as early as the 1980s, when Massachusetts-based photographer Crispin, known for framing structures in a new light, documented The Willard Psychiatric Center in upstate New York. Several buildings on the property were structurally intact but abandoned; a decade later, the 100-year-old institution was set to shutter its doors when an employee — tasked with evaluating the property — came across more than 400 abandoned suitcases in the attic, locked away as early as 1960. These suitcases were filled with items from former patients, like Madeline Cartier and Frank Coles, who’d never been given the chance to reclaim their forgotten belongings. 

Crispin got to work photographing the contents of each suitcase; he began with just 70, only after a successful Kickstarter campaign helped to fund a portion of the process, but the work took on a life of its own. Eventually he dedicated years to shooting every single piece of content that had remained, stuck in perpetuity by residents no longer living or with little information on familial relations. Now, nearly 20 years later, Crispin still has the opportunity to discuss the work around the country — including this November in Santa Barbara. 

“People say repeatedly that the project has seemed to have given a life back to the folks who were institutionalized; [that] the project reintroduces these people into a world that wasn’t based on their diagnosis,” Crispin told me over the phone recently. “It means a lot to me. I feel that I’ve been able to reintroduce these folks back into a world they lost at some point.” 

Over the years, Crispin has been invited to speak on his work at institutions like The Mahler Fine Art in Raleigh, Issue Box Theater in Toledo, and Yiddish Book Center in Amherst. He even sat down with NPR’s Ari Shapiro to discuss the project. Needless to say, the photographs — which artfully place the contents together inside each remaining case — have struck a chord. 

The Willard Suitcases exhibit is being brought to town by nonprofit New Beginnings, which has been raising awareness around mental health, veterans support, and homeless services through theater for eight years (and has been providing those services in Santa Barbara for more than 50 years). Last year the organization hosted two plays, Johnny & the Baptists and Every Brilliant Thing, which were also performed in 2022. “Over the years, we’ve found what is most meaningful to our community is hearing stories of our clients. What our theatrical events do each year is tell those stories in a really unique way,” says Jacqueline Kurta, president of the board of directors at New Beginnings. 

Kurta was intrigued by Crispin’s work when she first read about The Willard Suitcase story in The New York Times. The work of recovering the lives lost and immortalized in these cases remained in the back of her mind when the team began discussing plans for New Beginning’s annual gala and fundraiser this year. It felt like a perfect fit.

The exhibit will run November 5-8 at Art & Soul Gallery. Throughout the week, Art & Soul will host Crispin for a series of private receptions for New Beginnings guests as part of their annual fundraising efforts, offering interested parties a chance to learn more about the history and context of his work. He’ll also be available on Saturday, November 7 from 3 to 5 p.m. for an informal opportunity to peruse the exhibit and chat one-on-one with him.

This year’s fundraising activities will culminate with the New Beginnings Annual Benefit Gala, hosted by actor Gregory Harrison on Sunday, November 8 at The Grand on State Street. The event will begin with a reception at Art & Soul followed by a private luncheon for gala sponsors, which will introduce guests to songs from The Willard Suitcases, a musical from Julianne Wick Davis, with performances from singer-songwriters Amanda McBroom and Jackson Gillies. Set to debut sometime next year at The New Vic, the musical will be an extension of this year’s fundraising event, allowing New Beginnings to remain dedicated and focused on the needs and care of their clients. Returning to direct is Jenny Sullivan.

“What we have found over the years is that these types of events bring in people that wouldn’t necessarily be engaged in learning about mental health or learning about veterans and homelessness, but we have a clear and marked increase in new donors after this event that stay with us thereafter,” says New Beginnings executive director Kristine Schwarz. 

A limited number of tickets for the Gala gallery reception and luncheon at The Grand will be available to the public for $250 per person. More information about New Beginnings and the annual benefit can be found at sbnbcc.org/new-beginnings-annual-benefit-gala-2026. To learn more about The Willard Suitcases, visit willardsuitcases.com. Art & Soul Gallery (1323 State St.) is open to the public Thursday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m., with extended hours for 1st Thursday Art Walk on November 5 from 5 to 8 p.m.