North Carolina Museum of Art
Raleigh, North Carolina
The North Carolina Museum of Art demonstrates that art is meant to be experienced, not just viewed from afar. When the museum hosted an M.C. Escher exhibition last fall, staff set up a spherical mirror outside the gallery as a selfie station, since photography was not allowed inside. The mirror alluded to a famous Escher drawing called “Hand With Reflecting Sphere,” in which the artist looks at himself in a reflective sphere in his hand. Taking pictures in front of the similar mirror gave visitors a more personal take on the artist’s style.
Sometimes, an art experience extends beyond the gallery walls. On the museum grounds outside, artist Maria Elena González designed an interactive art piece called “You and Me” using raised platforms on opposite ends of the lawn. As one person stands on a platform, a friend takes his or her place on the other, creating the impression of both individuals stepping into a painting. Visitors shared this imaginative experiment with the hashtag #NCMAyoume.
“It all plays on perspective,” said Emily Kowalski, communications specialist at the museum. “People love not having to be too careful about art and have fun with it.”
Also outdoors, the museum featured an exhibit with giant inflatable white rabbits called “Intrude,” created by Australian visual artist Amanda Parer. During the 10-day exhibition, more than 25,000 people showed up to take pictures with the fairytalelike figures.
“They were a social media craze,” said Kowalski. “We had signs throughout the event with the hashtag they could use.”
Since Snapchat is already regularly used to create memes of famous paintings, the museum recently organized a meme scavenger hunt for teens. Likewise, when Beyoncé visited Raleigh for a concert, museum staff captioned several works of art with Beyoncé lyrics on Snapchat.
“Memes are such a trend on Snapchat right now, so we’ve been working to make art more accessible to younger people by putting funny captions or pop culture references with it,” said Kowalski.
Why Knox
Knoxville, Tennessee
Last year, the city of Knoxville led an eight-week Instagram challenge called #WhyKnox, where locals were asked to submit 15-second videos that illustrated what they loved about their city. The contest featured a $5,000 grand prize, a $1,000 fan favorite award and weekly $500 prize winners.
“We had a tremendous turnout,” said Angie Wilson, senior director of marketing at Visit Knoxville. “We had a total of 114 videos submitted, with about 80,000 clicks and 66-plus hours of views.”
The campaign drew attention from all different members of the community, from professional photographers to students and local chefs.
“The idea was that locals tell their own stories best, so we asked them to show ‘Why Knox,’” said Wilson.
While the submissions showed traditional tourist spots like the waterfront, many showed unique angles of Knoxville that the average visitor might never see, such as glassmaking in action or chefs preparing a signature local dish. At the end of the challenge, the city compiled a sizzle reel of the best clips, which can still be found on YouTube.
“It was a win-win for the city because we got locals to speak on our behalf while reminding the community all there is to do here,” said Wilson.
Many people continue to use #WhyKnox, and visitors to the area can take advantage of the videos or images as inside tips for sightseeing in the city.
