SANTA CRUZ >> Since his major breakthrough in 1998 with “Rushmore,” indie filmmaker Wes Anderson has made a name for himself with a visual style that is unmistakably his: bright colors, symmetrical arrangements of objects and a mood that invokes ’60s aesthetics.

This style is not limited to just Anderson’s movies but can be found in everyday life in every corner of the world, as proven by thousands of photographers worldwide who have submitted photos of Andersonesque imagery to Instagram through the hashtag #accidentallywesanderson. The social media campaign has made its way to several art museums, including the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History, where a Santa Cruz County-focused iteration of the campaign will be on display through May 18.

With its plethora of historic architecture, businesses with retro signage and nostalgic pastimes such as the Boardwalk, Santa Cruz has plenty of imagery that would not be out of place in Anderson’s movies. In fact, many had already been submitted to the global “Accidentally Wes Anderson” Instagram campaign, which prompted the museum to partner with the campaign’s co-creator, Wally Koval, for a localized exhibit.

“They gave us a lot of creative freedom,” said Preparator Shanti Nagwani. “We just loosely took from their aesthetic and designed it to fit Santa Cruz.”

In addition to the existing images from Instagram, the exhibit also put out a call for photographers to submit images of Anderson-style scenes not just from Santa Cruz but the county as a whole. Hundreds of photos were submitted, which Nagwani said were narrowed down to those that most represented Anderson’s style as well as broader Santa Cruz County.

“It’s just a great way for us to highlight local artists and photographers in our community that we might not otherwise be able to work with and celebrate all things Santa Cruz,” said Executive Director Ginger Shulick Porcella.

The “Accidentally Wes Anderson” trend was started in 2017 after Koval and his wife Amanda went on a bucket list journey around the world and noticed that all the places they visited resembled scenes from Anderson’s movies. They started a shared Instagram account, which has amassed 1.9 million followers and inspired users to share their own images that look like they came out of “The Royal Tenenbaums,” “The Darjeeling Limited,” “Moonrise Kingdom,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “Asteroid City” or any of Anderson’s other movies. The Kovals even parlayed their campaign into a book, “Accidentally Wes Anderson: Adventures,” published in October.

Naturally, the Museum of Art & History’s exhibit features global Anderson-style images from Switzerland, Argentina, Antarctica, Vermont and even the Painted Ladies in San Francisco, but the bulk of the images are from Santa Cruz County.

“We wanted to make sure it was really representative of all of Santa Cruz County,” said Porcella. “It wasn’t just downtown or the Boardwalk, so you’ll see photographs from all over Santa Cruz County.”

The exhibit has dozens of photographs that are guaranteed to conjure up sounds of French pop songs and Kinks B-sides in visitors’ minds as they peruse images of local landmarks through the lens of Anderson’s aesthetic. Even the walls of the Solari Gallery are a tribute to Anderson’s style, with a color palette of bright yellow and pink.One wall is devoted to the Boardwalk, with images of the Dream Wheel, Sky Glider and an aerial shot of colorful tables and umbrellas. There is even a selfie station where visitors can take their photo in front of a vintage Giant Dipper rollercoaster car donated by Todd Manoff, who served as the Boardwalk’s director of mechanical maintenance.

Retro signs are another common subject of the exhibit. Photographers captured images of familiar signs from throughout the county, whose font and color schemes invoke past eras. These include the Rio Theatre, Del Mar Theatre, Peter Pan Motel, Marianne’s Ice Cream on Ocean Street and the Fox Theatre and Taylor’s Hot Dogs in Watsonville.

The rest of the exhibit captures all that Santa Cruz County has to offer, including the Walton Lighthouse, Roaring Camp Railroads, the entrance to The Mystery Spot, the Felton Fire Protection District station, a raspberry field in Watsonville, various lifeguard stands, the pink doors of the Fireside Inn and a whole lot more.

Porcella said the exhibit showcases how varied the architecture is in Santa Cruz County.

“Not a lot of architecture is homogenous,” she said. “It’s all very different. You look at all these different types of architecture, they’re all Santa Cruz, but at the same time, they look like they could be from Tucson or Maine or the Midwest. To see all these different styles of architecture represented here in Santa Cruz is really amazing.”

Porcella is also glad to highlight so many different photographers that highlight the diversity of the county.

“You have your different ideas of what Santa Cruz is coming here for the first time,” she said. “It’s not just beachside resort. There’s a huge agricultural community here.”

Mixed in are items from the museum’s archives that are reminiscent of Anderson’s movies, including a 3D model of the Palomar Inn that will undoubtedly have visitors thinking of “The Grand Budapest Hotel” and a German vulpine hand puppet evocative of “The Fantastic Mr. Fox.”

On Feb. 13, the museum will host a screening of “The Royal Tenenbaums,” which Porcella said was the “overwhelming favorite” in a community poll of their favorite Anderson movies. The screening will feature Anderson-inspired cocktails, and people are encouraged to dress as characters from the 2001 star-studded comedy, whether it is the faux-fur coat of Margot Tenenbaum or the red tracksuits of Chas and his sons.

Beyond just an appreciation of Anderson’s aesthetic, Porcella hopes viewers will appreciate how much artistry is in Santa Cruz.

“For better or worse, because of Instagram, everyone really is a photographer now,” she said. “It’s inspiring for people to realize they have this amazing tool that they carry around with them every day called a phone that can serve as a camera, your lens to the world or your way you look at things differently. We hope people come to the show, they tag the museum, they tag us in their photographs as well because we want to keep seeing how people are viewing Santa Cruz and interacting with the world.”

“Accidentally Wes Anderson: Adventures in Santa Cruz” is on display through May 18 in the Solari Gallery on the second floor of the museum, 705 Front St. in downtown Santa Cruz. The museum’s hours are noon to 6 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays. For more information, go to Santacruzmah.org/exhibitions/awa-adventures.