Featherstone Center for the Arts is kicking off its 20th-anniversary celebration with a show that truly incorporates new technology and the rise of social media. The #CelebrateFeatherstone show will spotlight photos and videos by contributors who are submitting their work through Instagram.
To participate, simply use #CelebrateFeatherstone when uploading your photo or video on Instagram, include your name, and share your media with friends.
“Since it’s our 20th anniversary, we wanted the theme of celebration to be running throughout,” Veronica Modini of Featherstone said. “It’s really just a celebration of life, a celebration of love, a celebration of friends, a year of celebration.”
So far Featherstone has received over 100 photos with the hashtag. Ms. Modini notes that many are Vineyard scenes, but adds that people’s contributions can incorporate food, people, pets, or anything that participants would like to celebrate.
The Featherstone exhibit will display the photos and videos in a variety of ways. “We’re going to transform the gallery into a digital display space with videos, monitors, and projections,” Ms. Modini said. “What we’re trying to accomplish is to do a real social media show where you can submit from wherever you are.”
She notes that the format has broadened their submission reach not only geographically, but also beyond the standard artist population. “It’s been great having people submit who don’t usually participate,” Ms. Modini said. “Instagram is hugely popular. It’s a great digital platform, especially for visual artists. You can be really creative with all of the filters. It lets you try out all kinds of ideas.”
Two years ago, Featherstone hosted a “selfies” show that proved to be very popular. That success encouraged the staff to try another remote-submission project. “One of the things we really enjoy about doing a social media show is that you don’t have to be on Martha’s Vineyard,” Ms. Modini said.
But if you are on the Vineyard, you can stop by the Instagram Art Show opening reception at Featherstone on Sunday, Feb. 28, from 4 to 6 pm, or drop by the gallery any day between 12 and 4 from Feb. 28 through March 9.
Featherstone will accept submissions through Thursday, Feb. 25. If you don’t already have an Instagram account, you can sign up at instagram.com.