SPOTLIGHT: The People’s Portrait Project

• By Alexandra Sastre
• July 23, 2008

"Art is for everyone. Art is in everyone."

This quote, from a participant in the In Your Face- The People’s Portrait Project, truly sums up the spirit of this innovative exhibition. The project began with an open call from the Art Gallery of Ontario for Canadians to submit their 4"x6" self-portraits - nearly 17,000 submissions later, curators realized they had a hit on their hands.  It’s also the topic for what’s cookin’s new "Spotlight" feature, which will showcase visitor-contributed museum projects and websites.

The uniquely personal exhibit, in partnership with the Portrait Gallery of Canada, was a massive success, bringing together voices and viewpoints from all over the world and soliciting many very personal responses. Moved by the chance to be a part of something larger, people shared not only their artwork but also their stories.

The project was a topic of discussion at this year’s Museums and the Web conference, where it served as a compelling example of how to engage, amuse and inspire visitors and potential contributors in an age where the public’s relationship to art and museums is a hot-button issue.

Happily, the AGO has extended the exhibition’s run through summer 2008, so if you’re in Ontario, be sure to check it out!

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