Los Angeles, CA—Month of Photography Los Angeles (MOPLA) will kick off its April programming with its first-ever Instagram Jam, featuring an exhibition of work from several Instagrammers. The free event, held on April 12 and hosted by Graffiti House LA, includes a fundraiser via the sale of framed prints by participating Instagrammers and on-site donations for SNAPSHOP!, a photography workshop program for at-risk youth presented by the nonprofit charitable organization, the Lucie Foundation.
MOPLA, also a program of the Lucie Foundation, is dedicated to advancing dynamic programming aimed at engaging and stimulating the photography community as well as presenting exhibitions and events. With nearly 15 official events presented by MOPLA, the 5th Anniversary Edition promises to bring both the return of popular, historic programs and new events, including Instagram Jam. Frank Ockenfels III (@fwo3), Alejandro Chavetta (@silvermule), Wayne Lawrence (@waynelawrence), Sharon Kim (@sharonkim_) and a dozen plus others will participate in the inaugural exhibit.
Among the mobile photographers to be highlighted at Instagram Jam is André Hermann, @shutter_se7en, the artist behind the Hide-and-Seek a Photo Book project who has more than 100,000 followers across his social media platforms. Since the inception of this project, Hide-and-Seek a Photo Book has seen two series of signed, limited edition books hidden and successfully found in San Francisco and New York City.
From April 12–14, thirty numbered and signed books of @shutter_se7en’s street photography will be hidden within the general area of the Instagram Jam exhibition space. Offering clues on the location of each book via Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and his blog (transmissionsfromthewastelands.wordpress.com), @shutter_se7en will encourage guests to embark on the treasure hunt by offering a personal and specialized reward.
“Everyone loves a treasure hunt, exploring new places and seeing new things,” @shutter_se7en said. “If I could engage them in the process, and they were successful at finding the book, they would have a photo book embedded with a memory of the adventure they went on to find it, a book that only a small number of people would own. This book would be extremely specialized because no two people’s experiences finding the book would be the same.”
For more information on the Instagram Jam exhibition presented by MOPLA, as well as the full list of featured photographers, visit monthofphotography.com/events.
MOPLA is a program of the Lucie Foundation, whose mission is to honor master photographers, discover and cultivate emerging talent, and promote the appreciation of photography worldwide. The foundation presents year-round programming to support high school students through SNAPSHOP! and emerging photographers through E-pprentice and online mentoring, and financial support through the Lucie Scholarship Program for emerging and professional photographers. luciefoundation.org
Graffiti House LA offers a channel for graffiti and street artists to connect with art enthusiasts and clients to showcase their talents, get exposure and real-world application beyond the street-art community. The Graffiti House LA space provides exhibitions, programs and events that promote the culture and give artists a spotlight to showcase their talents. Its venue is over 11,000 square feet of space for on-site painting, artist collaborations, events and exhibitions and installations.
