Rutgers University's Art Library to Host Photography Exhibition with 'Jersey Collective'

Jersey Collective, a collaborative New Jersey Instagram project, is holding a photography exhibition at the Rutgers Art Library in New Brunswick, located in (Voorhees Hall on 71 Hamilton St. The show opened on Tuesday, Jan. 16 and will remain in the library through Thursday, Feb. 18. It is free to attend and open to the public.

Jersey Collective was founded in March 2014 by Kerri Sullivan, a 2015 alumna of the Master’s of Library and Information Science program and previous Rutgers Art Library intern. The project invites a different photographer to take over the Jersey Collective Instagram account every week and gives the individual the freedom to post as he or she wishes. The one rule: photos must be taken in New Jersey.

“I wanted to bring together New Jersey-based Instagrammers and give them a platform to showcase their work as well as showcase why New Jersey is such a special place,” said Sullivan.

The resulting photographs capture everyday experiences and places familiar to those who love and live in New Jersey—architectural details on churches, homes and bridges; expansive views of nature, farms and beaches; recreation from the Jersey shore to the ski mountains of the northwest and the people, animals and objects that populate it all.

The exhibit features a number of striking and beautiful images, according to art librarian Megan Lotts, but it is more than a collection of pretty pictures.

“What makes this project unique,” explains Lotts, “is that it is both an anthropological look at New Jersey as well as a modern way of curating an exhibition of digital born artworks.”

A celebration of the first year of Jersey Collective, the exhibit features one printed image per week from March 2014 to March 2015. These 53 images cover all four seasons and showcase every corner of the Garden State. Fifty photographers—ranging in age from 13 to 40 and in experience from professional photographers to amateurs with smartphones—were apart of Jersey Collective’s first year.

“One reason I am thrilled to bring this show to Rutgers is because I have a personal connection as an alumna of the MLIS program,” says Sullivan. “I also am excited for more Rutgers students to see what we’re about because I hope some of them will want to participate or will be inspired to get out and explore New Jersey a little more.”

Jersey Collective maintains a follower base of 8,000—and counting—and connection to other photographers. The complete project can be seen through the Jersey Collective Instagram account.