Video Self-Portrait Project

at the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art

About

In the Manhattan Community Portrait, a project inspired by Susie J. Lee’s video portraits, the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art captured video portraits and personal narratives of 85 Kansas State University students, faculty, and administrators, as well as various community members, all within the age range of 10 to 85. The video self-portraits capture individuals and their persona over a period of time in both moments of silence and animated conversation in order to portray them through a personal, unfiltered lens. The portraits were displayed in a museum exhibition called Self and in public venues. The video portraits were innovative in that they combined video images with written personal narratives. The public display of the portraits was also innovative and experimental as they were located in churches, coffee shops, retirement homes, and public music concerts, bringing art and engagement into unexpected areas.

Intended Outcome

The Marianna Kistler Beach Museum intended to record a total of 80 video self-portraits that included Kansas State University students and Manhattan community members. 

Actual Outcome

The museum recorded 85 portraits with 60 that were useable, and there were over 172,000 impressions based on approximate foot traffic and patronage of the public venues in which they were displayed.

Advice Post-Project

Use multimedia storytelling, like video self-portraits, to create relatable connections between participants and audiences. Pairing video with written narratives adds depth, while displaying work in public spaces beyond museum walls can expand reach, engage new audiences, and make art more accessible and community centered.