We had the good fortune of connecting with J. Stacey Grayson and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi J. Stacey, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I have always been a creative person, starting at a very young age. Over the years, I always had opportunities to utilize the natural skills and abilities that I possessed but I never considered pursuit of a career in a visual arts capacity. I did however, want to become a theatrical performer or broadcast personality. Upon graduation from college, I quickly accepted the reality of pursuing an acting/communications career would lead to homelessness and/or poverty, so I secured “traditional” types of employ and spent many years working at various jobs in the educational, travel industry, and customer service fields, the most recent being in the Facilities area at a well known Atlanta institution of higher education. Upon learning that at age 60, I could retire with benefits, I did not hesitate to exercise that option and shortly after my 60th birthday, I retired. Initially, I saw it as another opportunity to seek work in the theatrical/film industry, especially since the landscape in Atlanta had changed so drastically over the 30 years since graduation. I had also thought about perhaps owning an art gallery that could function as an event space to pay the bills as well. By chance, I enrolled in some art classes at one of the Fulton County Senior Centers and it was plainly evident where the new journey was leading me. The response from individuals seeing my creative exploits solidified the path as a visual artist instead of a performance one. And here I am today, being solicited for art shows, commissioned art pieces and artistic residencies regularly, in only my second year as a “professional” visual artist.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art is simple. It’s re-imagined versions of things I encounter in life as I see art in everything that I encounter. When driving down the street, and I see a group of birds sitting on an electrical wire, I see the art in it… when I pass a tree that the wind has blown and entangled a piece of red plastic into the limbs and struggles for release, I see art…when I’m flipping through the pages of a book or magazine and encounter an image, and ponder what it would look like using recycled or found materials, I see the art…What sets me apart from other artists is my attention to detail and stretch for perfect recreation. It is sometimes a hindrance to completing a piece but I know at the end of the process, I have tried my best to execute to the best of my ability, never settling for the quickest or easiest option out. I create art from the heart and not in an attempt to garner monetary remuneration. I do want it to appeal to, be relevant to or intriguing to individuals when they see it. And as far as I am concerned, my creations really are priceless. Another element to my art is that I view it as kind of an experiment in design, construction, theory, geometry, science, and art appreciation. Once I have conquered those particular aspects of a piece and it’s released into the world, I move on to the next waiting challenge. It’s going to be a one of a kind, never repeated entity (with the exceptions of my Black and White, pen and ink renderings). People often remark that they knew a piece of art was mine even without looking a title card. I want people to expect a certain level of execution and perfection, as well as uniqueness when experiencing my creations.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If I had a week, we would go eat at several of many establishments that I love here in Atlanta- Agave, Pappadeaux, 26 Thai, Surin, The Busy Bee, Mary Macs, Iron Age, Chattahoochee Foodworks. Virgils, Lickety Split, Thai and Sushi or Orethas. For drinks and a cool view of the city, the rooftop at 6 Feet Under on Memorial Drive, Colony Square Food Court, or Cheesecake Factory at Cumberland. On the next day, we would have to go to one of my favorite art galleries in the city- Black Art in America located in East Point. For a shopping experience, we would visit one of the Westside Market locations in West Midtown or Toco Hills. We’d also have to check out MOCA in midtown and even though we wouldn’t be able to visit due to security restrictions, I would love to take them to the Hartsfield Jackson International Airport to be consumed by the art you encounter between the concourses. We would have to take in a show at City Winery down at Ponce Market and a movie at the LOOK Dine-In theater in Brookhaven. Can’t miss the opportunity to take a walk along the Beltline, especially the east and west corridors so we could stop for food and drinks along the way. I’d want to have time to take them to the wonderful West Side Park for a stroll to enjoy nature in the city. Lastly, we would trek to the top of Stone Mountain, despite its contentious history, to experience the glory of creation because nowhere in Atlanta is closer to God.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
This is a multi-layered question that cannont be whittled down to just one individual deserving of a ShoutOut! for my success as it has been members of my village over the years – my parents, Clifford and Esther Grayson, that never quashed my creative spirit and allowed me to dream, my first and only art teacher at Orangeburg=Wilkinson High School in Orangeburg, SC, Barbara Townsend, that recognized my talent and doted praise upon me relentlessly in that one elective class, Karen Lowery and Cheryl Jones, good, faithful friends that trusted me with opportunities to create banners, murals and decorations for our church, Cascade United Methodist Church in SW Atlanta, Juliette Amey, a dear friend that insisted I join the Harriet G. Darnell Senior Center once I hit age 55, which then opened the doors for me to attend the free class offerings, and Kimberlie Wright and Jamal Jones, my instructors at the Darnell Center, who both exposed me to forms of art creation that I never would have experienced on my own volition. This is the “group” that deserves my ShoutOut!!! many and many times over.
Website: www.artbyjstacey.com
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Image Credits
jstacey grayson