Scrolling through Instagram used to mean seeing vacation photos, sports highlights, or snapshots with friends, but more Kinkaid students have been using the platform for something different: showcasing their art.
From violinists and guitarists to singers and dancers, students in the Visual and Performing Arts program have been creating Instagram accounts to document performances, track progress, and connect with other artists.
“My favorite part about sharing my talent publicly on Instagram is being able to display the experiences I have had in the past,” said junior dancer Lara Alp. “Whether it was with Kinkaid Dance Company or Houston Ballet Academy, it was a great way for me to bond with others and share some of the performances I have been involved in.”
For many, the accounts also serve as a visual record of artistic growth over time.
“I wanted to create an Instagram account to be able to look at my journey and growth as a musician in various art forms. Kinkaid’s resources inspired and allowed me to do so,” said senior violinist Maureen Min.
Min began using her Instagram arts platform for this purpose before arts-focused accounts became more common among Kinkaid students,
“I started my account during my freshman year. At that point, “music accounts” weren’t really a thing,” she said.
The accounts also have functioned as digital portfolios that document performances and encourage support among peers.
“One of my favorite parts about sharing my talent is being able to look back on it and create almost a portfolio of my past performances,” said junior dancer and guitarist Stella Helander. “I also love to encourage others’ arts accounts and see the support that arises from them.”
Helander was influenced by the growing number of student-run arts accounts that prompted her decision to create her own.
“I think I was prompted to make an arts account because I wanted to put myself out there. I also began to notice more and more people making arts accounts and thought it was a cool idea,” Helander said. O
