Carol Mullins, Renowned Lighting Designer for Danspace Project, Dies in Manhattan at 86

Carol Mullins, the longtime resident lighting designer for Danspace Project and collaborator of Robert Wilson, has passed away at age 86.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 4, 2026, 11:44 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from The New York Times

The Passing of a Visionary Lighting Artist

The arts community is mourning the loss of Carol Mullins, a prolific lighting designer whose career spanned more than 40 years of innovation in New York City and international theater. Mullins died of heart failure on March 24 at a hospital in Manhattan, a fact confirmed by her friend Jessie Dunn-Gilbert. Known primarily for her enduring tenure at the Danspace Project in the East Village, Mullins was a fixture of the avant-garde scene, providing the visual atmosphere for countless performances until her death.

An Unconventional Entry into the Avant-Garde

Mullins’ journey into the world of professional lighting began far from the stage. In 1970, while working in family planning in Thailand, she received correspondence from a friend involved in the New York performance scene that she initially mistook for participation in a cult. Intending to intervene, Mullins instead found herself drawn into the Byrd Hoffman School of Byrds, an artistic collective led by director Robert Wilson. This immersive environment served as her introduction to the poetic and time-intensive nature of experimental theater.

From Performing Artist to Technical Specialist

During her early years with Wilson’s collective, Mullins was a performer, notably appearing as a giant bunny in the seven-hour, dialogue-free production "Deafman Glance." Her transition to lighting design was a result of Wilson’s unconventional casting of technical roles. According to Mullins, Wilson asked her to manage the lighting for a performance in Spoleto, Italy, despite her having no prior experience in the field. This intuitive assignment launched a career defined by a unique, self-taught approach to the craft of illumination.