Instagram experiment at the Butler

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Five by Seven, a regional photography exhibition that evolved from a social media experiment, opens Sunday at the Butler Institute of Amercian Art and runs through July 15.

It started as the Seven Day, Seven Black and White Photo Challenge, in which participants posted one black and white photo from their lives each day for a week on Instagram. The photos were to be void of people and carry no explanation.

Butler exhibit

Gallery

Each photographer would challenge someone new each day by tagging them in the post.

By translating this social media platform into a physical exhibit, seven local photographers – Dan McCormick, Carl Leet, Adrienne DeRosa, Elaine Manusakis, Edward Hallahan, Robyn Maas and Robby Yankush – created a personal account of the region.

The exhibition at the Butler consists of 35 images – five by each of these photographers. It is on view on the second floor, in the Regional Art Gallery. A public reception is being planned for a later date.

The project has also created an online community of photographers. Those who are interested can join the project on Instagram. Be sure to tag your photos with #ButlerPhotoChallenge.

The website is 5x7exhibit.com.