Press Release: 

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J. Stacy Utley 

In Transition - Solo Show
 

Elder Gallery of Contemporary Art Presents In Transition, Featuring 

Multi-disciplinary Artist J. Stacy Utley 

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Charlotte, North Carolina — Elder Gallery of Contemporary Art is thrilled to present In Transition, the first solo exhibition of gallery artist J. Stacy Utley. Offering a collection of works in paint and photography, In Transition will examine the idea of transition itself, as it impacts community and individuals. 

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J. Stacy Utley, an architect as well as an artist, has spent years keeping his two professions separate. Now, in his first solo exhibition at Elder Gallery of Contemporary Art, Utley invites us into his creative world, a space in which art and architecture finally merge to communicate a greater narrative. As an architect, Utley recognizes the ways in which urban development frequently poses a threat to underserved and exploited communities. As an artist, he has developed a visual dialogue to address this threat. 

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Utley's artistic practice is a study of gentrification in communities and urban spaces, and the resulting effects on various demographics, but specifically on Black Americans. Brightly accented by an interplay of various reds, yellows, and teals, Utley’s paintings call to memory an all-too-familiar reference: the colors of real estate zoning. Through a methodical use of these colors, Utley transforms his paintings into more than artwork. Each piece transcends its medium to become a living archive and critique of America’s long history of systematically segregating neighborhoods and communities. 

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