City of New York Relaunches @NYCGOV Instagram Handle with #Signsofspringnyc Contest

April 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 spring, the de Blasio Administration announced today the relaunch of the City’s official Instagram channel with an online contest encouraging New Yorkers to submit photos of the city in springtime. Winners of #SignsOfSpringNYC will serve as Instagram ambassadors on @nycgov, the official Instagram account of New York City government.

“New York is a diverse, multicultural city pulsating with creative energy,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “This is a way for us to showcase that talent, and to see New York through the eyes of the people who live here, during a season when the city really blooms.”

“This is an opportunity for New Yorkers to celebrate the joys of spring together in a very twenty-first century way,” said Chirlane McCray, First Lady of New York City. “And for the City to get a fresh range of perspectives through beautiful photos that highlight and promote the living, breathing community. New York is gorgeous in spring and we can’t wait to see it through the eyes of our fellow New Yorkers.”

The #SignsOfSpringNYC contest will 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 May 3. The judging and vetting period will take place from May 4 to May 15.

The five 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

• Tom Finkelpearl, Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs

• Rob Bennett, Chief Mayoral Photographer

Winners will be announced on May 15 and the winning photos will be showcased on the @nycgov Instagram channel and in public spaces throughout New York City. Ambassadors will serve through August 31, and will also have special access to an official City event, where they will have the opportunity to photograph for the @nycgov account.