Mayor Eric Garcetti's social media game is pretty strong. He's delightful on Snapchat, and we love that he (or his intern) dropped a Pokémon reference when asked about the shade balls on Facebook. Over on his personal Instagram account, Garcetti has over 80,000 admirers of his genuinely awesome photography. So awesome, in fact, that @ericgarcetti will be getting his own gallery show starting this weekend in downtown Los Angeles.
At the Take My Picture art gallery, #MAYOR_OF_INSTAGRAM (name taken from a Mother Jones story about his online photography prowess) will feature 100 photos selected by Garcetti himself from his own account. Mostly highlighting the diversity of people and locations from the city he oversees, Garcetti brings his constituents to corners they may never get the chance to see.
"I think it's a great tool to engage residents of all ages, and fully embrace it as a way to maintain an open dialogue with folks throughout Los Angeles and beyond," he told Downtown News. "It's also about finding images that move my eye and provide a glimpse into what is happening in our dynamic city at any given moment."
Garcetti, who is "definitely not a hipster," has garnered attention from far and wide for his keen eye for his city. Of course he's probably most proud of the praise from none other than his dad, professional photographer and former district attorney Gil Garcetti. "I get a kick out of looking at his photographs," Papa Garcetti told the New York Times. "He is a very good photographer." Aw, thanks dad. He learned it from watching you! (We think.)
#MAYOR_OF_INSTAGRAM will also feature a video of the mayor discussing the use of social media and technology to reach out to voters. "My hope is that in this age of technology, we can find ways to use social media and technology to improve the quality of life of those who we are elected to serve," he said.
"Social media and the Internet have allowed a two-way street that's unique to our time," said David Leonard, who organized the exhibit for his dad's gallery. "We can all have a dialogue with our leaders now. It's not just a one-way conversation anymore."
Sales from the exhibit will benefit the Los Angeles Public Library's Photo Friends and Homeless Health Care Los Angeles.
#MAYOR_OF_INSTAGRAM opens at Take My Picture on Saturday at 4 p.m. Mayor Eric Garcetti himself is scheduled attend the opening ceremony. The exhibit will run through to October 31. Take My Picture is located at 109 West 9th Street in downtown and open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (213) 304-4279.
