Instagram users can find some very Harrisburg scenes on the HburgMade feed, pictured here.
Harrisburg’s ever-expanding arts community now has another home, this time on Instagram.
The account and hashtag, both under the name HburgMade, pull together photos shared by Harrisburg’s makers, creatives and artists, featuring their objects, creations and works of art.
With less than two weeks on Instagram, the curator behind @hburgmade, Drew Lawrence, said he’s learned a lot about Harrisburg’s arts community.
“It’s opened my eyes to different artists, events and photographers, not only in Harrisburg, but the West Shore and even Dillsburg,” he said.
Lawrence, 30, spent his 20s working in social media management and advertising in Washington, D.C., after graduating from Shippensburg University.
In D.C., he discovered @ACreativeDC on Instagram and loved the idea of a feed for the city’s arts communities.
“There was a creative movement down there that wanted to showcase D.C.’s creative community a little bit more and make it seem like [D.C.] was more than a government town,” he said.
When the Hanover native moved back to central PA last summer, he kicked around the idea of bringing the concept to his new community. When someone in Baltimore created a similar account, he decided to take the plunge.
He started the project March 28, and the community has latched on. The account has 366 followers and 152 posts fill the hashtag. The account posts and reposts aesthetically-pleasing and community-oriented photos from local creatives.
“I want to show people that there is a creative side of this town,” he said.
He encourages people to use #HburgMade to create a stream of local art.
“It’s not limited to people who make physical objects,” Lawrence said. “Professional photographers, street photographers—anyone can fill the feed.”
Managing the account is easy for the former social media manager, now advertising copywriter. Each day, he goes through the feed and picks a good photo from that day, he said.
“It’s not too complicated,” Lawrence said. “It’s a lot of monitoring, engaging, commenting.”
His only challenge is one faced by many with a side passion project.
“Just trying to not do it during office hours,” he said.
Author: Danielle Roth
