Partners in the Arts: Micah and Whitney Stansell

Micah and Whitney Stansell are a married couple who frequently collaborate on artistic projects. Though in their youth they both lived for a time just outside of Atlanta, the two actually met as freshmen at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama in the Fine Arts program. They became friends due to taking foreign language classes at the same time; Micah was studying Japanese and Whitney studied Russian. 

They were also athletes on the University’s Track and Field Team for distance running in which they ran 3Ks and 5Ks. This athletic conditioning proved to be great training for their future as working artists. It has been said of distance running that what works in one race will not necessarily work in the next; this same principle can readily be applied to the practice of artmaking, and the physical endurance required for distance running can also prepare one for the reality of life as a working artist. 

From the start, Whitney and Micah were friends who shared an interest in sports and foreign language. Art, which now consumes their daily life, came later, along with their collaborative process. 

Whitney transferred to UGA to pursue a BFA in Painting and later attended SCAD Atlanta where she received her MFA. While at SCAD she worked with Michael David and Rocio Rodriguez – two artists who she credits as being her significant mentors. Following his graduation from Samford, Micah also returned to Atlanta to pursue an MFA in Filmmaking and the Arts at Georgia State University, studying under Professors Connie Thalken and Joe Peragine. 

The two married in 2002 and lived in College Park for 19 years. Many of their neighbors there were great storytellers which heavily influenced their narrative artwork. In 2022 they moved to Midtown Atlanta which has been a great change for them. 

In their work, Micah and Whitney embrace narrative and storytelling. Growing up, their families communicated through sharing tales of the past. Interestingly enough, their complex family stories often overlap – for example Whitney and Micah shared with me that they both have grandfathers who spent time in prison. Through film, collage, installation and painting, their art embraces the Southern tradition of storytelling in visual form. 

Family life is of utmost importance to the Stansells. They have three children and a beloved dog, Mr. Peppers. Whitney spoke about their daughter coming to the studio with her; they listened to an audiobook as they worked on their art. Their children and their friends make frequent appearances in their films – their work is indeed a family affair. 

Whitney recently posted one of her works on Instagram that depicts a dimensional hand-painted collage of three young men in a woodland setting. In the post she wrote: “this captures everything I want to say in my work – Love of family, celebration of nature, exploring memories (real and imagined!).” 

Micah is a filmmaker whose work is typified by an uneasy approach to narrative. His images are complex, their rhythm not exactly linear. He describes himself as an introspective artist while Whitney is the extroverted one. Micah and Whitney collaborate on all of his films, such as one production for which she crafted hand-painted collaged wallpaper. During filming, Whitney is always present on the set where she watches the monitors and communicates with the actors. Film, by nature, is a collaborative process and these artists rely on each other’s eye to produce new works. 

Their most recent film Let Light Perpetual (2019-2021) which played at Off the Wall @ 725 Ponce and at the Atlanta Contemporary. The piece has a dreamlike narrative that is almost surreal in its storytelling. Often their film projects are multi-channel or composed for split screens with multiple images meant to be seen simultaneously. 

Viewing these works, one is keenly aware of Micah’s almost mystical love of the natural world, which appears as both serene and immersive. In the film Over the Bent World (2020) two small children sit in a boat atop a lake composed of a palette of grays. The resulting work is ephemeral. 

Some installation works by the Stansells include Inversion (with Sky), which was shown at the Goat Farm in 2013 as part of Flux Projects and more recently at Georgia Tech in 2023 during the couple’s Artist Residency. At Georgia Tech, a canopy of recycled papers from the university library’s bins hung between two of the buildings moved and flickered in the wind. A projection of the changing sky was projected on the squares of paper, producing a transformative work of light and movement. 

Recently, Micah and Whitney collaborated on an installation in Midtown presented by the Midtown Alliance and Dashboard. Suspended Spectrum features rectangular panels of richly hued plexiglass that hang above the sidewalk at Peachtree Place. The panels spin gently with the breeze and change as the sun moves through the sky. 

“We love the idea of putting art in people’s way — the possibility of the unexpected encounter — that it can be seen and experienced without necessarily seeking it out,” said Whitney. “Art in public spaces can reframe how a space is seen, can shake people from their routine, allowing them to slow down, look up, interact with others, have a shared experience, and see their everyday surroundings in a new way.” Suspended Spectrum will remain on view in Midtown through November 14.

Suspended Spectrum will remain on view at Midtown Atlanta’s Commercial Row Commons through November 14. On Friday, June 20, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m,, join the artists for a special summer solstice event featuring music, cocktails and even a small gift — while supplies last.

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Deanna Sirlin is an artist and writer. She is known internationally for large-scale installations that have covered the sides of buildings from Atlanta to Venice, Italy. Her book, She’s Got What It Takes: American Women Artists in Dialogue, (2013) is a critical yet intimate look at the lives and work of nine noted American women artists who have been personally important to Sirlin, based on conversations with each one.