Open Air: Artist Talk with J. Stacy Utley

Open Air is a monthly series of virtual studio visits and intimate conversations with Black artists across the globe hosted by the Gantt. April's iteration features North Carolina State University alumnus J. Stacy Utley. Utley is a critically-acclaimed artist and designer whose work is grounded in the fundamental belief that public art and architecture are one in the same.

This program will be livestreamed on our YouTube channel.

J. Stacy Utley believes the narrative should reflect its cultural landscape and curated with strategic yet thoughtful design. His role with Evoke Studio is the engagement and creative collaboration between client, other creatives, and community stakeholders in the reimagining of a public shared space through artistic and architectural form. As both a public artist and designer, Utley understands the value of collaboration and diverse partnership in placemaking. It is a universal tool that when used utilized cross-culturally allows for voices to be heard. Collaboration plus research and investigation create a genuine connection with the community that inspires. His experience in civic and community stakeholder meetings, strategic planning, wayfinding, design, and fabrication makes him knowledgeable when it comes to managing relationships, expectations, and timelines.

Dexter Wimberly is an American curator based in Japan who has organized exhibitions in galleries and institutions around the world including the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City, The Green Family Art Foundation in Dallas, KOKI Arts in Tokyo, Bode Projects in Berlin, and The Third Line in Dubai. His exhibitions have been reviewed and featured in publications including The New York Times and Artforum; and have received support from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, and The Kinkade Family Foundation. Wimberly is a Senior Critic at New York Academy of Art, and the founder and director of the Hayama Artist Residency in Japan. He is also the co-founder and CEO of the online education platform, CreativeStudy.