Whitney and Micah Stansell’s Suspended Spectrum is made of more than 120 translucent, rectangular, acrylic panels, each one catching the light and moving with the wind. From sunrise to sunset, beams of light shine through the colored surfaces to create a rainbow of shadows and overlapping hues on the sidewalk below. Installed at Midtown’s Commercial Row Commons this spring, the outdoor piece remains on view through mid-November.
Ahead of the upcoming Summer Solstice Soirée—a community celebration of the piece—the artist couple shared what inspired Suspended Spectrum and why creating public art together is a cornerstone of their practice.
Suspended Spectrum plays with sun, color, and shadow in an almost meditative way. Why?
This work at its core is about activating the environment through color, light and movement. We want to bring art into people’s daily lives—especially in places they might not expect it. When sunlight passes through the acrylic panels, it casts vibrant, shifting shadows that change as the day progresses. As wind moves through the installation, the panels pivot and sway, creating a kinetic experience that feels alive. The colors overlap and shift, forming new combinations—like a living kaleidoscope. We hope people slow down, look up, and reengage with their surroundings.
You’re not just co-creators; you’re life partners. What does your collaboration process look like, especially for something of this scale?
Collaboration is a constant for us. After years of working together, we’ve developed a rhythm that’s grounded in trust and open conversation. On a piece like this, the process is long and layered—full of sketches, renders, tests, and course corrections. There are moments of tension, of course, but that often signals that something important is at stake creatively. Those moments help sharpen the work and make it stronger.
Read more:
• Micah and Whitney Stansell present ‘Inversion’ on Georgia Tech Campus
• Midtown Alliance to host panel event for Atlanta young professionals on June 12
Your past work often integrates digital projection and crafted elements. How does Suspended Spectrum build on or depart from that?
This piece is an evolution of our earlier Inversion series, which used hanging paper and projection to transform space. But here, the sun is the projector. Rather than using digital projection to create light, color and complimentary movement, the screen breaks up the sunlight. There’s no electricity, just the movement of the sun and the wind activating the piece. It’s still kinetic and layered but completely dependent on the environment.
How does the June 20 Summer Solstice event complement Suspended Spectrum?
We love that the Soirée mirrors the spirit of the piece. It’s about creating shared experiences—where art, nature, and community intersect. The solstice is the longest day of the year, and as the light shifts into the evening, it really highlights the installation’s ephemeral qualities. We want people to gather beneath it, to experience it as part of a collective moment. That’s exactly what we hoped the work would encourage.
Dashboard has supported some of your most daring projects over the years. How did they help bring “Suspended Spectrum” to life?
We’ve been fortunate to work with Dashboard for more than a decade. They create space for artists to experiment, to take risks, and to dream big. For this project, they gave us the freedom and support to explore new materials and scale while staying true to our interest in public art. Their belief in artist vision is rare—and Atlanta is lucky to have them.
What do you hope people take away from the piece—especially during the solstice?
We hope it leaves people with a sense of wonder—not just at the piece, but at the natural world and the passage of time. There’s something powerful about pausing to notice the shifting light, the rhythm of the day. Our goal is to create a moment of reflection and uplift where people feel connected to the world and to one another.
What’s next for the two of you?
We are looking forward to creating an installation with Flux for the Atlanta Art Fair this fall, as well as some private commissions. There are always projects we’re dreaming up.
SEE IT FOR YOURSELF
Summer Solstice Soirée, a sunset celebration in honor of Suspended Spectrum hosted by Midtown Alliance and Dashboard, happens 5–7 p.m., Friday, June 20 in Midtown’s Commercial Row Commons Plaza. The event is free to the public.