After 4 years of bringing cat videos to the masses, Walker Art Center has decided to discontinue the beloved Internet Cat Video Festival. The festival got its start in 2012 when a Walker program associate suggested the idea of inviting community members to the center to watch cat videos projected onto a big screen. What was intended to be a small gathering gained the interest of many. The Walker Art Center was floored when nearly 10,000 cat lovers showed up!
Over the past several years, the Internet Cat Video Festival has toured the United States, has drawn international attention, and has seen many copycats spring up around the country and world. By showing internet cat videos on a big screen, the festival was able to create a community event out of something that’s normally a solo experience.
As the era of the Internet Cat Video Festival draws to a close, Walker Art Center will be donating their videos, cat costumes, photographs, posters, and other festival memorabilia to the Minnesota Historical Society.
“We think that cat videos will live on without us,” said Walker’s design director, “and we’re really excited for other people to take up the mantle and program their own festivals.”
So who will be the next organization to bring us hours of cat-centric big screen entertainment? We’ll be waiting!