City of New York Launches #AutumnInNYC Contest For @nycgov Instagram Handle

October 20, 2015

Winners to serve as the City’s Instagram Ambassadors on @nycgov, putting government handle in the hands of New Yorkers

NEW YORK—In honor of the arrival of autumn, the de Blasio administration announced today that the City’s official Instagram channel will host another online contest encouraging New Yorkers to submit photos of the city. Following in the tradition of the first #SignsOfSpringNYC contest this past spring, winners of #AutumnInNYC will serve as Instagram ambassadors on @nycgov, the official Instagram account of New York City government.

“Fall is a glorious time to be in New York City,” said First Lady Chirlane McCray. “The crisp air and changing leaves offer much to rouse the creativity that is the lifeblood of New York. I’ve no doubt that photographers across the five boroughs will capture this beautiful season through their own unique perspectives, bringing a variety of views to represent our multi-cultural city. Picking a winner is certain to be a tough – but inspiring – task.”

The #AutumnInNYC contest will once again engage New Yorkers from across the five boroughs, giving voice to a diverse range of perspectives and photographic styles on the City’s official Instagram account. Submissions will be accepted via a web form hosted on nyc.gov, and one ambassador from each borough will be selected by a panel of judges. In order to be eligible, photos will need to be submitted in a square format by end of the day on November 1. The judging and vetting period will take place from November 2 to November 7.

The six judges who will select the final ambassadors are:

• Chirlane McCray, First Lady of New York City

• Nisha Agarwal, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs

• Mitchell Silver, Commissioner of the Department of Parks and Recreation

• Penny Abeywardena, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of International Affairs

• Rob Bennett, Director of Creative Communications, City of New York

• Marty Markowitz, Vice President of Borough Promotion and Engagement, NYC & Company

Winners will be announced on November 14 and the winning photos will be showcased on the @nycgov Instagram and Medium channels, as well as other City social media accounts. Ambassadors will serve through Spring 2015, and will also have special access to InstaMeets coordinated by the City.