Sweetwater Center for the Arts – Sewickley, PA

The Arts Center Fayetteville, NC

The National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center – Wilberforce OH

EbonNia & Black Palette Art Gallery / Dayton OH

The entire “First Avenue” triptych tells the story of the neighborhood’s lifespan and evolution:

1. Part I: Circa 1930 depicts a thriving, hopeful community of middle and upper-class working families, set shortly after the Great Migration.
2. Part II: Urban Decay shows the neighborhood in the mid-1990s, devastated by middle-class flight, limited opportunities, and social decline, with vacant buildings and only a few businesses remaining.
3. Part III: Urban Renewal represents the final stage of change, where efforts are made to revitalize the area, typically involving new development, reconstruction, or gentrification. This piece completes the cycle of the neighborhood, showing how the area attempts to recover or is remade following the period of decay.

The triptych, crafted in Coulter’s signature style of fabric collage (using materials like leather, suede, and denim), presents a visual and cultural commentary on the historical shifts—from prosperity to decline and ultimately to redevelopment—experienced by many inner-city communities in the United States.