Thank you, SuperRare, for creating SuperRare Spaces. I hope this results in not just more gatekeepers but in more truly open gateways for artists.
I had been drafting a proposal that would promote unknown artists â those who are not already known in the physical art community and those who have not sold more than some to-be-determined value of NFTs. My idea is to have a Space where new artists and their works are promoted in cohorts â perhaps a new group every month â and then remain on the Space if theyâd like, but roll off the promotion queue once theyâve achieved a bit â or hopefully, a great deal of â success.
The goal would be to allow enough time to build interest in each cohort while also rotating as many new artists into the Space as possible. In addition, the Space manager (gatekeeper) would be a âlaypersonâ â not an elite art curator or a well-connected industry personality. I confess that I would not have identified a blank white canvas or a banana taped to a wall, as art. It would be great to see someone like myself, who doesnât accept that just because an already famous artist or curator refers to something as art, it should be highly valued, especially to the exclusion of what most of us would recognize as art only because it was produced by an âundiscoveredâ artist.
I have decided not to submit my proposal because as I was working on it, I saw @chikaiâs. He seems to have a similar goal of promoting undiscovered artists and has already demonstrated terrific support for them and they overwhelmingly support him! I canât compete with that .
However, I did want to share these thoughts to highlight to the SuperRare Team, the community & $RARE holders that there is a dire need for Spaces that provide a pathway and exposure for new artists, managed by non-traditional gatekeepers.
Thank You, SuperRare.
Good Luck, @chikai â I have no $RARE to vote for you but I hope you win a Space and Iâd be honored to someday join it !
Wow, this is truly an unexpected post. I totally support your mission of finding unknown artists and giving them a space to be recognized and celebrated. Iâd probably consider myself a âlaypersonâ, since I donât have any previous experience in the art world, so I hope to bring that perspective and voice to the NFT community.
I humbly accept your support. I hope that I can help fulfill some of your goals if my application for a Space were to be accepted. Please connect with me on Twitter (https://twitter.com/lifeofc) and send me a DM!
Name of primary contact: King of Midtown (Athanasios Polihronopoylos)
Names of additional Space admins: The Crypt Gal (Vasia Makris), Elti Meshau,
SuperRare username(s) of everyone who will be a Space admin:
K1ngofm1dtown / the_crypt_gallery / Elt
Short bio of you and/or your team:
The Crypt Gallery, founded by King of Midtown, is the first of its kind physical NFT exhibition focused on bringing the digital marketplace to life. With an emphasis on education, we have developed relationships in multiple industries with the aim of increasing mainstream exposure and involvement in the NFT community. Our mission is to unlock the future of human creativity â by hosting live interactive events that bring digital artists, collectors and fans together.
The King of Midtown is a New York City self-funded and self-started collector who has established himself as a major influencer and curator within the space. As his involvement within the industry grew, he also developed a loyalty to the community and interest in educating new fans, as well as bringing NFTs to a physical space for real-world experience.
Summary/manifesto of your Space. What is the unique value prop / elevator pitch? What type of art will you focus on? How will your Space stand out among the crowd?
Our space is focused on inclusion and full spectrum representation of the digital art community. This is why our collection will include artists from a variety of mediums including photography, 3D design, traditional art, street graffiti, and more. This authentic snapshot of the digital art space is how we want to introduce a mainstream audience to the community. Our Space is unique because of its emphasis on in person experiences, specifically bringing together artists, collectors, and a new audience. Live events are specifically designed to bring the digital marketplace to life, focusing on connecting the already existing community while expanding to new collectors through education and memorable experiences.
Describe you/your teamâs experience curating and promoting artwork:
Our team launched The Crypt Galleryâs first physical location at Dream Hollywood and since then has rotated artwork to reflect new pieces within King of Midtownâs personal collection. As we continue to expand, our team is in the process of curating and promoting artists for future locations. Our increasing line up allows us to promote artists and provide exposure in areas that would normally not showcase digital artwork or bring attention to NFTs.
Describe you/your teamâs experience organizing exhibitions, making art sales, running auctions, networking with collectors, etc.
Our team has organized a 24/7 gallery in Dream Hollywood, which is in the process of changing exhibition displays and will soon be hosting monthly events. We recently also designed, built and curated displays at Christieâs Auction House, located in NYC. The displays showcased Curio Cards and Art Blocks Curated, celebrating Christieâs first auction held only in Ethereum.
In terms of making art sales, The Crypt Gallery held two live auctions at the Hollywood launch. Chad Knight and Yo Brilly were the first two artists to drop at The Crypt Gallery and each auctioned a 1/1 piece, along with two editions from their collection. One of the edition pieces from each artist was sold exclusively in person, prompting movement in the secondary market by collectors unable to attend the live event.
Since our initial launch, King of Midtown held a curated drop on Nifty Gateway which consisted of a diverse lineup of artists and genesis drops on the platform. Not only did King introduce talented artists to a new collector base, but making the introduction to NG allows for artists to now participate in solo drops on the platform. KOM also curated a membership drop to build the community, allowing both small and larger collectors to participate and benefit from IRL + digital utility. This sale broke records in terms of the number of OE sold.
Since then, The Crypt Gallery has hosted 2 verified drops on NG, continuing to onboard new artists to the platform, provide advisement and strategies that generate strong secondary sales, and allow all collectors to participate.
We are also well connected amongst the community, including our vast network of like minded collectors. Overall, we like to align ourselves with collectors that aim to grow the space in a positive manner and use their influence to promote artists and projects.
Are there new artists youâd like to bring into the Space in the first six months? What is your relationship to them?
Yes! The Crypt Gallery has developed long term relationships with artists and we plan to promote them at our in person venues. We also aim to advise artists that may ask for guidance. As we continue to expand to new locations and meet new artists, our network will also grow and onboarding to our SR Space will only increase.
Are there any artists already in the CryptoArt space that you are planning to work with for this Space? Have they committed to participating yet?
Yes and yes. Further details, however, have not yet been publicly announced.
Please provide any additional details you can about how you plan to operate this Space; e.g. cadence of exhibitions, auction strategy, number of artworks, other ideas for promoting your art and artists, etc.
We are planning to use this space to host auctions that are simultaneously held in person at our venue spaces. This Space will reflect the in person experience to provide both live and online participation. We also plan to use this Space to introduce new artists to Super Rare. Promotion will take place through our monthly events at Dream Hotel Group properties, along with any other additional venues/activations we may be involved in.
How do you plan to structure commission rates for the artists who release in your Space?
Because we are hosting live events, The Crypt Gallery has a larger overhead to maintain venue space. Splits will consist of 20% TCG and the remainder to the artist.
To you, what is the importance of NFTs as a medium/technology? Where do you see the NFT and CryptoArt space in five years?
NFTs are of major importance for multiple reasons, specifically due to the authenticity and secondary sales they provide artists. They also introduce a new way to create utility amongst sales and promote a relationship between the creator and collector. Interestingly, many new utility features are linking in person experience/perks to further emphasize a connection between artists and fans, ultimately fostering a community that continues to organically grow.
We see the CryptoArt space expanding into all industries and found amongst daily physical spaces. It is only a matter of time before this technology expands and becomes accepted by the mainstream audience. Our goal is to spearhead this introduction with an emphasis on education and positivity, which will ensure longevity and continued expansion of the industry.
If your Space were a cocktail or a dish, what would it be and why?
Caribbean Rum Punch. Mixture of ingredients, that all come together to make a signature cocktail, similar to the diverse group of artists and members within The Crypt Gallery community. Creating a social environment, connecting people and always has you coming back for more.
Anything else youâd like the community to consider?
King of Midtown has openly advocated for this community, calling artists âthe new celebritiesâ. We aim to take this perspective and share it with the masses, along with highlighting the limitless potential of this industry.
SuperRare username(s) of everyone who will be a Space admin:
carlosmarcialt
aloalita
Short bio of you and/or your team:
Carlos Marcial is a Mexico City-born Puerto Rican digital artist involved with crypto art since 2019. Before becoming one of the first full-time crypto artists ever in early 2020, Carlos Marcial helped found and creatively direct a studio in Toronto, CA that specialized in design for blockchain projects and companies. It was at this studio that he first found out about NFTs and bought some beautiful and cute CryptoKitties; although his first contact with the blockchain was in 2012 when he read about Bitcoin and bought some, which he unfortunately didnât hodl.
Alondra DurĂĄn is a Mexican sociologist graduated from UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico) who has spent the better part of the last 10 years creating public programs in Mexico City aimed at empowering women, specially from impoverished backgrounds, through a wide array of social and cultural initiatives. In the past 3 years, she has also dedicated herself to the better understanding of all the current use cases of blockchain technology through both practical and theoretical means. Her background as a sociologist makes Alondra a powerful advocate for the potential of crypto and NFTs to change the social and economical situations of many people in Latin America, especially its women artists.
Metafisica will establish itself as the first, and premier, crypto art gallery for Latin American art.
We believe in creating together a new and decentralized art world where more of the cultural capital that is produced in Latin America stays there, instead of being almost completely absorbed by galleries and auction houses located far from where this âcapitalâ is actually produced, as itâs been the case historically.
On Metafisica, both established and emergent LATAM crypto artists will have the opportunity to showcase their works together in an effort to collectively expand the narratives around digital art production and give more context to the wider NFT phenomenon occurring in this region.
What is the unique value prop / elevator pitch?
Metafisica will curate and promote the widest diversity of fine digital art being created in LATAM, all the way from the RĂo Bravo in Mexico to Patagonia in Argentina, passing through every country and region in between; all the while experimenting and establishing new ways for artists in this region to live off from their artistic production.
What type of art will you focus on?
This space will focus on contemporary Latin American digital arts, in all its diversity and variety; from generative artists in the Andes to 3D artists in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean, just to give a couple of examples. We will also include digital art from all of the Latin American diasporas, with special emphasis in LATAM communities in the USA.
Even though we are committed to the present and future of digital arts in LATAM, and its diasporas, we will make sure to showcase also in future exhibitions the works of some of the most important pioneers of digital and computer-assisted art in this region.
How will your Space stand out among the crowd?
Easy! It will be filled with all the colors, forms, sounds and stories that can only be found in such a vibrant region like Latin America!
Metafisica will also put out a regular newsletter filled with artists bios, video interviews, and well thought out editorial pieces regarding the past, present and future of digital art, NFTs and crypto art in this region of the world.
Metafisica will also build a database around the public blockchain data created through our own smart contract. There will be a way of searching and querying this database on Metafisica.xyz to find out all the sales data from every artist that has created an NFT using Metafisicaâs minting contract.
If you are already a SuperRare artist from Latin America, or any of its diasporas, you will be incentivized to drop with Metafisica by receiving the exact 85% of the primary market sales that you would receive if you dropped your NFTs using SuperRareâs standard smart contract, but with the added bonus of receiving our promotional, editorial and curatorial services before, during and after the drop of your artwork.
This space will also use part of its resources to create educational content (videos, articles, etc.) in Spanish and Portuguese regarding crypto art and NFTs.
Describe you/your teamâs experience curating and promoting artwork:
Carlos Marcial has been creating and promoting his own NFTs since 2019. In early 2020, he left everything behind to concentrate full-time on his crypto art career. Since then, he has been able to become one of a handful of Latin American artists on the Top 100 list of crypto artists by sales.
Together with Alondra DurĂĄn, they have created a structure and workflow that have let them both live off exclusively from crypto art for almost 2 years now.
Carlos and Alondra have helped a considerable amount of artists from all around the world (not only Latin America) to wrap their heads around the concepts and tech behind NFTs, get into some of the most prestigious NFT minting platforms out there right now, and get their first sales.
Describe you/your teamâs experience organizing exhibitions, making art sales, running auctions, networking with collectors, etc.
This has been Carlos and Alondraâs daily bread for the last 2 years. They have been doing most of these activities around Carlosâs own crypto art pieces. And as mentioned above, they have been unofficially helping other artists to learn how to leverage NFT, make crypto art sales and network with other artists and collectors since 2019.
Are there new artists youâd like to bring into the Space in the first six months?
Metafisica has already identified a group of very talented Latin American artists that have been making waves in the NFT world without having had yet the opportunity to drop and exhibit their artworks on a blue-chip platform like SuperRare. In the first phase of this project, we will work mainly with artists already familiar with NFTs and the crypto art cultural scene.
Our thesis is that some of these crypto artists are already on the verge of breaking out and making a bigger splash with their art on the wider NFT scene, but they need our support and push to finally get there.
After this initial phase, we will begin to onboard some of the top digital artists from all over LATAM, but this will take more preparation and resources, since we will probably need to give propaedeutic classes to these artists about how to manage and use cryptocurrencies, mint NFTs, and work their way around Web3.
What is your relationship to them?
Some of them have already become our protegĂŠs, colleagues and friends.
Are there any artists already in the CryptoArt space that you are planning to work with for this Space? Have they committed to participating yet?
As you will find also in the answer to the question below, we plan on making exhibitions where one already established SuperRare artists from LATAM will invite, with our curatorial help and direction, other emerging artists from the region to establish a dialogue with his or her artworks.
For the established artists, we plan on working with crypto artists at the level of Neurocolor, Moxarra, Ekaitza, Lucas Aguirre, Etienne Crauss, Criptocromo, Oxeegeno, Frenetik Void, Kako, Fakito, Omentejoven, Federico Bona, K0ch, VXN, Milton Sanz, Okytomo, Render Fruit, Panther Xhita, CaramurĂş Baumgartner, among many others.
Please provide any additional details you can about how you plan to operate this Space; e.g. cadence of exhibitions, auction strategy, number of artworks, other ideas for promoting your art and artists, etc.
Metafisica plans on creating drops/exhibitions where one established crypto artist will invite up to four emerging artists to drop in conjunction with him or her. Ideally, we would in a short amount of time get into the cadence of making one of these drops every month.
We will reach out to as many cultural institutions in LATAM, and other parts of the world, to gauge which ones would be interested in contributing to our efforts to spread the word about our crypto artists and NFTs. We already have some museums and institutions in LATAM and the Caribbean interested in collaborating with us.
How do you plan to structure commission rates for the artists who release in your Space?
Artist: 85%
Metafisica: 10%
SuperRare DAO: 5%
To you, what is the importance of NFTs as a medium/technology?
That they have the potential of turning all the creatives in the World into really self-sovereign artists and human beings.
Where do you see the NFT and CryptoArt space in five years?
Ruling the art world and every other aspect of our cultural lives!
If your Space were a cocktail or a dish, what would it be and why?
It would be a cold beer. No matter where you are in Latin America, and no matter if you are drinking tequila, rum or aguardiente, you are probably accompanying any of these hot elixirs with a beer.
Anything else youâd like the community to consider?
In due time, we will also invite established crypto artists from other regions of the World to open a visual dialogue with emerging crypto artists from our region. For example, an artist from Africa could be invited to collaborate with digital artists from Latin American regions where thereâs a very important Afro-Latino presence; or in other instances, an artist from Spain, Portugal or France could be invited also to work with us, because of the historical, social and cultural ties that we share with them here in LATAM.
exciting to see this proposal come through. What an opportunity it could be to bring in some outside of crypto and very local artists into this new global economy.
SuperRare username(s) of everyone who will be a Space admin:
@mbeltran@fzamora
Short bio of you and/or your team:
Gabriel Santos
My business background has been in mobile technology and digital advertisement for over 17 years. All of my business ventures since day one have been within the digital space. I, alongside my business partner Mario Beltran, have led a small tight-knit team of senior web developers, whose work is now centered largely around projects on the Ethereum blockchain. While I conduct the concept ideation and business development, my team supports me from a technical standpoint. My team consists of highly professional individuals and even better human beings who help bring my visions (that become our visions) to life. I currently operate as a collector, consultant and promoter within the NFT space. My current collection consists of over 400 works from a diverse array of multidisciplinary artists with a strong inclination for psychodelic art.
Iâm proud to say that Mario has been my business partner and friend for more than 10 years.
While I did not have much to offer by means of compensation at the time, Mario took a chance on me because he believed in my vision when it was very difficult to, and for that I am very grateful. He has helped me build and manage my ideas from the ground up and i am extremely lucky and privileged to share this journey with him. He leads and manages our long-standing team of rockstar web developers ensuring a secure and reliable technology environment for our operations. The team definitely looks up to him, something which is absolutely warranted and well deserved.
Summary/manifesto of your Space. What is the unique value prop / elevator pitch? What type of art will you focus on? How will your Space stand out among the crowd?
This curated storefront will actively serve to showcase, promote and sell artworks selected by me personally as a continuation of my personal collection which again has a heavy inclination in psychedelic art. I will never promote anything I wouldnât personally buy and this will be central to my Space. With no main theme in terms of media, the goal is to represent unique souls regardless of their background, technique, subject matter, or stylistic vision. It will serve as the gallery for artists of all shapes and sizes whom i deeply believe in and can truly align with. The uniqueness lies within the artist themselves, each exhibition differing from one another based on the artist featured at any given time. Iâm know in it for the right reasons, the goal and driving force behind this Space is to help artists be discovered but also to become better versions of themselves, both personally and professionally. Also, i want to see my artists have fun with the process, art should be a fun journey and thatâs what makes it all worthwhile. This is definitely something i value dearly, and i intend to promote it within my Space.
Finally, I want a chance to work professionally with some of the most amazing artists out there. I had actually been searching for something like this for quite some time, yet it wasnât until SuperRare Spaces came around that I felt I had found the best and most appropriate medium for me. My objective in life is to offer more of myself and the lessons and hardships that i have been lucky enough to learn from with those who are willing and ready to listen. I want an opportunity to share my lifeâs experiences that have made me the person that i am today.
Describe you/your teamâs experience curating and promoting artwork:
I will be leading the Space as Head Curator, however i will work with friends and colleagues in the industry for input and feedback in order to keep things fresh and innovative at all times. Also i would like to have an internship or protege program to help develop the young up and coming curators of the future. In my youth, my mother was a prominent art collector in Mexico throughout the 80âs and 90âs. I think that Iâve been very fortunate to have developed a keen eye for meaningful art from a young age. I know i will always be a work in progress and must keep pushing myself to continue developing my eye for different art forms as best i can in order to keep growing within the art world and beyond. I fully expect to get better with time. My mothers collection consisted of many great artists such as Frida Kahlo, Rufino Tamayo, Maria Izquierdo,Francisco Toledo, and even Jean-Michel Basquiat to name a few greats. It is from this upbringing and background, that my appreciation for the arts is rooted on and has since only grown stronger. It is the energy, message being conveyed and of course aesthetics of any given artwork that peak my initial interest in any one piece. Moving into the current day, my tangible or IRL collection of works has mostly stalled since the beginning of this year 2021 and my spending has since shifted heavily into CryptoArt. To date, I have invested roughly $3,000,000 USD on my collection of digital works, most of which are worth well over their initial investment. Among my current collection I have collected 55 SuperRare artists including Mr. Misang, Jake Fried and Fauves. As an avid collector and lover of the arts, i believe not only in my collection representing a great investment, but also a testament for all these incredible artists that this new medium has uncovered to the world. Additionally, i will develop my strategically located Decentraland lot (3x2) into my Gallery with the entire first level floor being solely dedicated to my Halos x gblsts marketplace and the promotion of its artist. The remaining floors will hold my main collection and different meeting and social spaces.
We are witnessing an art revolution and i feel very fortunate for it. I truly believe art makes the world a better place so i couldnt be more excited to be an active part of it and its future.
Describe you/your teamâs experience organizing exhibitions, making art sales, running auctions, networking with collectors, etc.
I currently promote and showcase my NFT collection on both Twitter and Instagram as well as my Showtime gallery (gblsts | Showtime). I have experience in promoting and consulting with many top name crypto artists on general strategies like pricing, business development and marketing as well as mindset and other issues on a more personal level. It is my genuine passion and interest to work directly with artists and wanting them to succeed both personally and professionally, that makes me a great candidate for a Space. My personal and holistic approach gives me a way to connect with artists in sometimes more meaningful and impactful ways. Some examples of artists I have personally worked with include Fauves, MayaGuy, Caramuru and Andres Zighelboim which are all SuperRare artists.
Are there new artists youâd like to bring into the Space in the first six months? What is your relationship to them?
I have many artists in mind all to which i am a friend as well as private council to. I plan to continue working with all of the artists i have collected before and which whom i continue to have a good standing relationship with. Also, with the help of the talented Alessio De Vecchi i have been able to onboard artists that have already been doing great on the platform. Some of these amazing artists including Jake Fried, Line Censor and Niro Perrone have all at least 5x their sell price with my guidance and support. I am not and will not be alone on these efforts as i always try to surround myself and the artists with the most greatest minds within the industry that can definitely help propel them even farther. Ultimately it will always be about the artist; first and foremost.
Additionally, i plan on introducing a number of new artists to my Space such as:
Also, as something extremely personal to me and also never done before on SuperRare; i will try to inmortalize through his estate one of Mexicoâs best contemporary artist of my time, the great Julio Galan. He was first brought to attention by Andy Warhol who printed several of GalĂĄnâs works in his Interview magazine. Julio GalĂĄn started his career as a painter in my hometown of Monterrey, Mexico, so again, this project is very personal and dear to me. Also, i think it should be a highly marketable business model and project and i if this works i would actually love to keep honoring through this model many deceased artists and their families.
I plan to charge a fee to every Galan IRL collector to digitalize, secure and ofcourse validate their artworks on the blockchain and hopefully create a rejuvenated secondary market for Julio as a result. I think this model could be of great impact for the SuperRare platform as validators moving forward. I most certainly plan to share these fees with the SuperRare DAO. For now im calling this project "Julio Galan Meets the Blockchain" and would love for this model to be a mainstay as the "Meets the Blockchain" series in the future.
It is with great motivation that i strive to continue helping the artists i work with to get what they truly deserve for their work. This in turn grants the artist more time and liberty to work on what is most important to them - which is of course their craft. My drive also comes from the genuine desire to even out the playing field a bit more for many of these artists by having a collector, businessman, and mentor on their side to help them make these sometimes critical decisions throughout their careers. I believe that the emotional and mental aspect of an artist almost always goes unexplored and it can have everything to do with the quality of the work they put out. In me, artists will find this sort of comprehensive support that helps both mentally and emotionally, hopefully resulting in better and more profound work. Finally, from a business strategy standpoint, it is this that truly sets me aside from most gallery curator/directors today.
Are there any artists already in the CryptoArt space that you are planning to work with for this Space? Have they committed to participating yet?
Many artists have and continue to make great efforts to be considered for my collection. So, as a continuation of that trend i believe the demand to be a part of my SuperRare Spaces storefront will be even higher. Again, having an extra set of eyes on their work and being supported by a collector with business experience as well as an art background offers a unique opportunity. More and more artists are beginning to see my value in this regard.
Please provide any additional details you can about how you plan to operate this Space, e.g., cadence of exhibitions, auction strategy, number of artworks, other ideas for promoting your art and artists, etc.
My team and i have a limited exhibition background, but we have been in the digital advertising sector for over 17 years, which will definitely help for this very important and personal project. My team and i will continue to work tirelessly to better understand the main differences and key steps for us to take within the promotional process within the digital art industry. I really do want to see my artists succeed both personally and professionally so i will be constantly looking for innovative and fun ways to promote them in the right lighting. I envision that my Decentraland Storefront Gallery will be central to these efforts as i plan for this Space to occupy the complete floor level instalations.
âI will handle my exhibitionâs similar to how I handle most of the things in life, with great energy, genuine intentions and an open heart.â â @ gblsts
How do you plan to structure commission rates for the artists who release in your Space?
Commission rates will be structured as followed:
Primary sales:
5% SR DAO Commission
10% Storefront Commission
85% Artist Royalty
Any following sale, the collector will receive 90% of the total sale price, paid by the buyer and the original artist will receive 10% as a royalty. (These commission rates for all secondary sales serve as the royalties allocated to the artists).
There is an additional 5% fee added to the total sale price secondary, that is paid to the SuperRare DAO.
To you, what is the importance of NFTs as a medium/technology? Where do you see the NFT and CryptoArt space in five years?
I see CryptoArt as better suited for commercial spaces to be honest. I have a hard time imagining changing the physical paintings in my home for any type of digital panel. The presentation and displays as they exist at present, just do not feel the same for me at this point. However, for commercial spaces the possibilities are endless really, Iâm super excited to see where we are at in just a couple of years in that regard. I think that at that point is when CryptoArt could really start to become much more mainstream with the IRL art whale collectors as they continue to start to engage and enter the space.
Additionally, as I have come from a more traditional art space, I am well aware of the challenges faced when handling the imports and exports of art. For that reason and for the ability of automatically establishing provenance through the blockchain is why I think CryptoArt is such a game changer. Furthermore, I have long thought about the unfair nature of artist royalties/ commissions associated with most tangible art market sales. I believe full-heartedly in this life-time revenue stream for artists and their families as established through the current structure of the secondary market artist royalties. Most artists have historically seen little to no return for their work and it is tragic that this has persisted for this long throughout history without much change. So, I am honored and proud to help artists get and continue to get the very well-deserved value of their work. Safekeeping physical artworks is another obstacle and headache needed to be faced by IRL collectors, and while safekeeping digital artworks has its own set of challenges, having enough space is not one of them.
If your Space were a cocktail or a dish, what would it be and why?
âIâm not a drinker anymore but if I have to choose, Iâd probably say a Cosmopolitan. A good cocktail stands the test of time and I think it should be the same with art.â
âIâd like my Space to be much closer to mushrooms than a cocktail if im being honestââ Gabriel
Anything else youâd like the community to consider?
The mission behind the Space:
This is a chance for me to continue working with my artists with even more freedom and flexibility. I believe we all want to be discovered in a way, which is why Iâm absolutely committed to help shine the sometimes much needed light on many of these hidden gems that are still out there. Many great artists have and will probably continue to go undiscovered, throughout history. It is for this reason that I believe the digital art space still offers and awaits many great discoveries. My Space will be the perfect opportunity and setting for artists to connect and align with my vision as a curator, collector, businessman and mentor. Even some of the best artists needed help promoting their work. It will be a space created with my fullest and most genuine intentions of supporting the lives of artists I believe in and deeply align with. I canât think of a better brand to make my best curating and consulting efforts under. I am completely committed to give my absolute all in order to continue propelling SuperRare forward as the OG CryotoArt platform that it is. More importantly, I recognize SuperRare as the incredibly beautiful and powerful movement that it has come to be at the hands and foresight of the visionary group of people that make up the founding team.
Names of additional Space admins:
Robert Norton, Shelley Mannion
SuperRare username(s) of everyone who will be a Space admin:
Verisart
Short bio of you and/or your team:
Verisart helps artists sell and protect their works through its patented digital certification service and its newly launched NFT minting platform. Since 2015, Verisart has been one of the leading providers of blockchain certification to the art and collectibles market. We believe in empowering creators to have greater control over their works and connecting them with collectors who love their work and products. Our mission is to treasure creativity by facilitating trusted transactions and to date, we have certified over 50,000 artworks by more than 10,000 artists including Shepard Fairey, NeĂŻl Beloufa, Penny Slinger, Derek Boshier and many others.
We are a team of passionate engineers and art lovers with offices in Los Angeles & London. The company is helmed by Robert Norton, formerly Founder & CEO of Saatchi Art and Sedition Art and curation of the new SuperRare space will be led by Robert and two other members of the curatorial team.
Robert Norton - Robert is the CEO and co-founder of Verisart with a passion for art and technology. Before establishing Verisart, he was the co-founder and CEO of Saatchi Art and Sedition Art. Previously he worked on the executive management team at King. com and AOL Europe. Robert graduated from Oxford University with a Masterâs in Modern History.
Shelley Mannion - Shelley is the CPO at Verisart and has over 20 years experience in software engineering and product management. At the British Museum, she pioneered the use of Augmented Reality in digital learning and built the Museumâs first digital product team to deliver its flagship mobile guide. She holds an MSc in Communications from the University of Lugano and a BA in Art History.
Vinciane Jones - As Head of Community at Verisart, Vinciane is passionate about art and advocating for artists. She previously worked as Head of Communications at Artsper, an e-commerce platform for art. Vinciane holds a BA in History of Art from the University of Cambridge and an MA in Arts and Heritage from the University of Maastricht.
Summary/manifesto of your Space. What is the unique value prop / elevator pitch? What type of art will you focus on? How will your Space stand out among the crowd?
Verisart believes that art can be a force for good. The Verisart SuperRare space will focus exclusively on works that contribute towards the artistâs charitable cause. Using the Verisart Fair Trade Art certificate, each work sold will have a clear indication of the supporting charity and the percentage of sales benefitting that charity. This will be reflected in the sales description, the metadata and at the contract level.
In 2020, during the Covid pandemic, Verisart launched Fair Trade Art, an initiative designed to bring together artists and social impact organizations to do good. For all artists dropping with us, we would ask that they donate a portion of the profits of at least one work to a cause or charity. The split of the sales proceeds between the artist and charity would be highlighted in our Fair Trade Art certificate.
Artists and charities we have worked with include:
We look forward to working with artists to help them support the causes they care about.
Verisart would select artists from across various disciplines and mediums with a strong track record of high-quality works in the contemporary art world or the NFT space. Our focus will be on artists who are always curious and exploring, whether that means exploring new technologies, new processes or tackling big ideas in interesting ways.
Describe you/your teamâs experience curating and promoting artwork:
Verisart has previously had two highly successful curated auction series in partnership with SuperRare. Verisart partnered with SuperRare for two series of curated art drops, 10x10 and 8x8.
Describe you/your teamâs experience organizing exhibitions, making art sales, running auctions, networking with collectors, etc.
Verisartâs curated auction drops with SuperRare generated over $1 million in sales and we have worked with over 25 high-profile artists providing guidance from the ideation phase to the handling of the sale.
Our team has an extensive network of contacts in the contemporary art world from galleries, artists and collectors. Robert Norton, co-founder and CEO at Verisart, was previously CEO at Sedition Art, a groundbreaking online platform for collecting digital art, where he produced digital art by the worldâs leading contemporary artists including Damien Hirst, Shepard Fairey, Bill Viola, Yoko Ono, Jenny Holzer and many others. Robert was also CEO of Saatchi Art, today the worldâs largest online gallery enabling artists to sell directly to their collectors. He has also curated exhibitions such as the âArt in the Age of AIâ exhibition and auction at Founders Forum in London.
Are there new artists youâd like to bring into the Space in the first six months? What is your relationship to them?
As an actor in both the physical contemporary art world and the digital art space, and a strong believer in the future of NFTs, we would like to work with several established contemporary artists who are interested in the NFT world. Our team has professional relationships with an extensive range of artists and through our partners discussions with the artists listed below are already in progress.
As a company, Verisart currently works with over 10,000 artists who use our platform to certify their physical and digital artworks. We would also plan on holding open calls among our existing community to ensure our SuperRare Space also provides a platform for emerging artists.
Are there any artists already in the CryptoArt space that you are planning to work with for this Space? Have they committed to participating yet?
Verisart looks forward to continuing to work with the artists we have already built relationships with including Neil Beloufa, Universal Everything, Shepard Fairey, Jonathan Yeo, Mark Titchner, Random International, Derek Boshier, Matteo Zamagni, Recycle Group, Sougwen Chung, Leo Isikdogan and more. Several artists are already working on their next NFT and are open to working with us again.
Please provide any additional details you can about how you plan to operate this Space; e.g. cadence of exhibitions, auction strategy, number of artworks, other ideas for promoting your art and artists, etc.
Verisart would provide a mix of:
Individual artist drops (every three weeks)
Curated selections of artworks by several artists (every quarter)
Drops curated by guests curators from the contemporary art world or NFT space (ad hoc)
All works would be 1 of 1 works and drops would consist of individual works or a related series of works. Artworks would be sold through timed auctions with timings and reserve price determined in consultation with the artist.
Artists would be promoted through Verisartâs social media channels, newsletters and editorial content. When working with artists already represented by galleries from the physical art world we would also advise the gallery on best practices for promoting the work. Verisart has an in-house marketing team and a designer who would organize and support promotion for the drops.
Through our partner galleries, Verisart also has access to physical exhibition spaces. These physical spaces enable us to support artists who are interested in showing both physical and digital works. The link between physical and digital artworks can be blockchain-registered through Verisart certificates.
How do you plan to structure commission rates for the artists who release in your Space?
Verisartâs aim is to support artists and the causes they care about. Our commission rate would be fixed at 15%, 5% going to the DAO and 10% to Verisart for providing advice to the artist, helping to manage the sale and promoting the work.
To you, what is the importance of NFTs as a medium/technology? Where do you see the NFT and CryptoArt space in five years?
NFTs are changing the face of the creator economy and have enlarged the definition and participation of the art market. The technology underpinning NFTs provides transactional authenticity and price transparency, creating a more open market both for creators and collectors. The smart-contract royalties are finally providing the financial rewards that creators and artists deserve for their work. Beyond NFTs as a medium or technology, this new space has also seen a huge rise in creator-led communities and is bringing creators and collectors closer together as they interact more than ever before. The next phase will be more mainstream adoption of NFTs across the entire art market from crypto to street to contemporary to virtual and interactive experiences. As they say, buckle up, this ride is just beginning!
If your Space were a cocktail or a dish, what would it be and why?
Truffle Mac N Cheese - Verisart has been around since 2015, weâre experienced and dependable but weâre always looking to innovate and create something special that stands out.
Anything else youâd like the community to consider?
Verisart believes that the future of art is both digital and physical, weâre seeing many contemporary artists explore the NFT spaces and NFT and Crypto artists produce prints and other physical work. Through our digital SuperRare Space and our partner galleriesâ physical spaces, we want to support artists in the most comprehensive way possible to showcase the breadth of their creations and creativity.
â˘Crypto Native Art Collective and Crypto Native Art
"Weaving the web of Indian Countryâ into the world wide web by creating a village expressing the soul of North American Indian Art and Indian Country.*
Name of primary contact: Sheree Lincoln
Names of additional Space admins: James âKingsawinâ Reed - Tongass Tribe of the Tlingit People and Alaskan Native
SuperRare username(s) of everyone who will be a Space admin:
Sheree Lincoln is a live aboard Sailor, Wellness Coach, Web Designer and an Artist who paints in fluid acrylic with quick, vibrant strokes of color. She attended The New York School of Interior Design and also has a Web Design Certificate with over 20 years of internet marketing and visual concepts experience. She was featured in Yahoo Internet Life Magazineâs Sites to watch in 1997 and is an entrepreneur, early adopter, visionary thinker and former owner of 2 art galleries.
James âKingsawinâ Reed is an Alaskan Native, Sailor, a 4th generation Formline Artist and Shipwright of the Tlingit People from the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America. The Tlingit and Haida tribes create Pacific Northwest Formline Art in both print and carving as demonstrated by their carving, totem poles, canoes and weaving. Kingsawin, a 4th generation shipwright and artisan, is an emerging artist who is retiring from boat building this year to become a culture bearer for his people and to create art full time honoring the tradition of his Grandfather Charles Brown, a Master Totem Pole Carver, who many recognize as one of the lead carvers on the the Ketchikan Totem Park Restoration Projects in Alaska and the totem pole in Pioneer Square in Seattle, Washington.
The Crypto Native Gallery website is under construction with a launch date of November 12th.
We do have user names as spaceholders on Crypto.com and Rarible and Discord allowing for further development. We are primarily focused on SuperRare right now and thankful for the opportunity to be a finalist.
For 2020 Kingsawin featured some of his formline art studies through the website and social media for A Pony On My Boat and Etsy for Facemasks during the Pandemic and a clothing line. He will not be releasing his more advanced art and sculptures until 2022 so he will have time to focus on developing this SuperRare Gallery Project.
⢠The Crypto Native Art Collective will establish itself as a Native American NFT Collectibles Art Gallery, honoring our ancestors, by utilizing the traditional power of the collective for North American Indigenous Art for emerging and established artists.
⢠This SuperRare Space will be creating sovereignty as understood from a place of spirit by weaving Indigenous Art Into The Web through a collective. Sovereignty and provenance are important components for Artists and especially Native Artists.
⢠We believe in creating a decentralized art world where the Indigenous cultural capital produced, under the broad category of Native American Art, can be digitally marketed as NFT Crypto Art for the benefit of Native American Artists from the Pacific Coast to the East Coast, in Canada and the United States.
Indigenous Artists and culture bearers will have the opportunity to showcase their works and be part of a larger village of Indigenous artists bringing awareness of the art from over recognized 1000 tribes creating a village expressing the soul of North American Indian Art and Indian Country.
We will be sharing the story and the history of our art and our people. Co-founder James âKingsawinâ Reed is very excited about âCreating Sovereignty as understood from a place of spirit by weaving Indigenous Art Into The Web
through a collectiveâ.
⢠The manner in which SuperRare artworks are minted, directly by the original artist, will create a digital legacy for Native American Artists through blockchain art. NFT art and The Crypto Native Art Space will globalize and re-establish trade routes for the art in the tradition of the Native Trade Routes that were used for thousands of years.
⢠Since the curators of Crypto Native Art are artists themselves, and are experienced at working with artists, with one being an indigenous artist and the other a web designer, we have the tools and ability to promote this new cutting edge digital format and community. We have the technical skills to grow successfully as the NFT Crypto Art format becomes more mainstream. We will also plan to create a positions for Native Americans with degrees in curation, digital media and more.
⢠Kingsawin is also one of the Grandchildren of the famous Tlingit Master Carver on the Totem Pole Projects in Ketchikan, Alaska. We will be creating The Charles Brown Endowment to benefit member Tlingit and Haida Artists with a portion of the Galleries percentage.
⢠We also have the skills to work with select artists, coordinate and promote drops, and help them build their own following and collector base as we grow Crypto Native Art online with the help of this CryptoArt Space.
What type of art will you focus on?
⢠Crypto Native Art we will feature the art of established and emergent Indigenous Artists, traditionally known as American Indian Art and the Visual Art of the Americas, who will have the opportunity to showcase their works and be part of a larger community of Indigenous artists bringing awareness of the art from over recognized 500 tribes on United States and over 600 tribes in Canada. We will also include artists with verifiable heritage, that may not be tribal members, who can provide proof of lineal descendancy. We will also include the Inuit and other Indigenous peoples; focusing on North America initially.
How will your Space stand out among the crowd?
⢠Our Crypto Native Art Space will be one of the first to feature art created by North American Indigenous Peoples in a digitally curated space that will provide surety that buyers/collectors are obtaining what was traditionally known as Native American Art Or Native Indian Art, with a digital provenance under the title North American Indigenous Art and North American Native Art â Not Native American Style Art. We will feature traditional art and contemporary art.
Describe you/your teamâs experience curating and promoting artwork:
⢠Sheree Lincoln has created two physical art galleries in her art career. One featuring over 25 emerging artists and one featuring her own paintings and the works of two internationally recognized sculptors. She has presented and sold art at Art Shows and Art Walks for both herself and other artists which gives her a keen eye regarding collecting and sales.
Describe you/your teamâs experience organizing exhibitions, making art sales, running auctions, networking with collectors, etc.
⢠Our team has utilized internet marketing, including social media and live events to expand artistâs following. Sheree Lincoln has participated in ArtPrize twice and collaborated with artists around the world. She was a gallery owner representing over 25 artists including national and internationally recognized sculptors. As a web designer and marketing consultant for over 20 years she has experience with online auctions and other art shows. She also served on an arts council board for over 3 years planning events, setting up art shows and helping to curate the gallery for the arts council. Her work creating and teaching educational art classes for adults and youth also provides valuable experience. Both Sheree and Kingsawin have been making art for over 40 years.
Are there new artists youâd like to bring into the Space in the first six months?
⢠Yes and we will be reaching out to many more artists in the first six months.
What is your relationship to them?
⢠Family and Tribal members starting with Tlingit and Haida and other First Nations cultures and North American tribal people.
Are there any artists already in the CryptoArt space that you are planning to work with for this Space?
An established and prolific Photographer, Northwest Coast Native Jeweler and Artist working in the Kwakiutl / Haida style who has been minting NFT Art and has works in many museums and has written three books about indigenous life.
+Blake Angeconeb - Lac Seul First Nation - Canada
*Blake Angeconeb is an established Anishinaabe woodlands artist who hails from Treaty 3 territory. Blakeâs primary practice is blending the school of woodlands art with pop culture references.
Quinn Hopkins is an emerging Digital, AR, VR artist and Painter, Rock-painter and Mural artist. He is a student at OCAD U studying Drawing & Painting for his Bachelor of FineArts. He was recently featured on CBC for his involvement with the innovative non-fungibletokens (NFTâs) and empowering other indigenous artists with the technology.
Shana Yellow Calf Lukinich, an enrolled member of the Northern Arapaho in Wyoming, has been producing art in various mediums since the 1990s. Her contemporary art reflects her plains heritage, her motherâs Chippewa/Metis ancestry, along with a Pacific Northwest Coastal influence from the Puget Sound area of Washington where she grew up.
Rico LanĂĄatâ Worl is a Tlingit/Athabacan designer. His work speaks to the experience of living with traditional values as a modern person. He is the founder of Trickster Company along with his sister, artist Crystal Worl, which strives to promote innovative indigenous design. Rico is the designer of the Raven Story Stamp for the US Postal Service. He and Crystal recently collaborate with Google to celebrate Native Heritage Month with Google Pixel Wallpapers.
Owen L. Oliver (Quinault / Isleta Pueblo) comes from the people of the Lower Columbia River, Salish Sea, and Southwest Pueblos. He grew up in Ketchikan, Alaska and Seattle where in 2021 he graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in American Indian Studies and Political Science. Through these disciplines heâs been able to create and manage projects that range from community work, art, education, and influence on local and federal policy. His work is concentrated in Indigenous education and cultural representation, a path that heâs learned from his connection to Tribal Canoe Journeys.
⢠1 through 6 above have said yes. We have also reached out to others who we have not heard back from yet.
Supaman AKA Billy ills, Jarrod Galanin, Bunkhaus, Ben Pease, MrWereWulf, HarrisSisters, Emily Kewwageshig, Larry Yazzie as well as the First Nations Foundation, Collective49, Israel ShotridgeâŚ
Please provide any additional details you can about how you plan to operate this Space; e.g. cadence of exhibitions, auction strategy, number of artworks, other ideas for promoting your art and artists, etc.
⢠As we build our Artist base we will be developing our format. Our methods will be created and developed in communication with our artists and include their ideas into the cadence, auction strategy and ideas for promotion.
⢠Including our Native Artists in this process of creating collective celebrates including Indigenous traditional values as we expand globally into the digital trade routes. It also echoes the manner in which decisions are made for SuperRare as a whole.
â˘As we build our artist base our methods will be enhanced by communication with the tribal Governance and or Artist Councils of each nation with regard to the art selection process.
â˘With each purchase collectors will be supporting a specific tribe and the tribal artist within that Indian Country as well as the First Nations and American Native Peoples as a whole.
⢠The timeline for our drops may be based on the traditional calendar celebrations of our tribal people.
How do you plan to structure commission rates for the artists who release in your Space?
⢠5% SR DAO Commission
10% Storefront Commission
85% Artist Royalty
We believe 10% is an acceptable based to include the support that may be necessary to bring an individual artistâs art into the digital realm as an NFT. We will hire graphic designers, creative services for staffing or contracted them to be efficient in our curation, use the best techniques and create jobs for Native Americans. We plan to support our artists by assisting in marketing through web development and social media to build a following for their art. There are a lot of avenues, not unlike the trading trail, for grants through Native Agencies and other programs for First Nations Artists to help the Crypto Native Art Collective gallery grow.
⢠Our featured Artists, as a collective, will decide where to donate or grant a percentage of the income to groups or individual artistâs for educational programs to assist them in moving in the NFT Digital Art World and becoming part of the Crypto Native Art Tribe.
To you, what is the importance of NFTs as a medium/technology?
⢠We finally have a two sided coin that serves the artist and the art buyer. It takes meta data and watermarking, to a new level, without intruding on the art itself.
Where do you see the NFT and CryptoArt space in five years?
⢠Exploding and morphing into uniquely curated art galleries and communities changing the way we look at and market digital art as well as increasing its value as collectible CryptoArt and traditional art.
If your Space were a cocktail or a dish, what would it be and why?
⢠Indian Fry Bread because it is a blank canvas that can be enhanced through creativity and is not limited by one particular spice or topping just like art is not limited by one particular medium or format. Equally the Indigenous Art of the Americas is not limited to one tribe or people. Fry Bread Art by Shana Yellow Calf Lukinich of 10 Buffalos.
Anything else youâd like the community to consider?
⢠We are very aware of the security issues of digital art and provenance and we are extremely excited that NFTâs and this platform has been needed for a long time. We are excited to continue the conversation and development of a North American Indigenous NFT Crypto Art Space by creating a Space for Crypto Native Art that is verifiable as legitimate visual art of Native Americans and indigenous people. We may consider expanding inclusion of the art of Indigenous Peoples around the world.
⢠Please be aware that we only found out about SuperRare Space 4 days before the submission date and are just now bringing artists in. Currently our reach is to Pacific Northwest Artists because our co-founder is Native Alaskan and a member of Tlingit Haida and Sea Alaska. We continue to reach out to tribes and indigenous people all over the American Continent.
*Quote: "Weaving the web of Indian Countryâ by Ingrid Washinawatok El-Issa - Menominee. Celebrated human rights activist and change-maker.
Art dealer and curator, specialized in Modern and Contemporary Art, advisor and manager for some of the most renowned private collections in Europe, counting artists the likes of Picasso, Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Monet, Magritte, etc.
Worked for the most exclusive collectors in the art world with clients in Saudi Arabia, Europe, USA and UK.
Former Director of Gam Gallery Monaco and Marlborough Gallery Monaco, two of Europeâs former finest art galleries
Recognized for managing the trade of Monet first impressionist painting âPrise vue Monacoâ to Monacoâs Prince Albert, considered one of the most relevant private transaction in the past decades.
Mentalist, as the name suggests, is a man of mystery. Little details are known about his life and true identity. Impossible to separate the man from the myth, tales of his persona are whispered through the backchannels of the metaverse, often attributing him with qualities bordering the supernatural. Is he human? Alien? An advanced AI? His paranormal feats keep us guessing.
We know for certain he was in the crypto space very early, his outstanding collection of over 700 1/1 is legendary as well as his eye for discovering new talents.
We know his synaptic influence reaches very high in the hierarchies, enough to meet one of the fathers of Ethereum, resulting in a famous 100 ETH art transaction.
In the NFT space he is viewed like an oracle, selflessly dispensing advises and offering patronage to whomever seeks it.
Raised 3.5 Millions during his tenure as advisor for several cryptocurrency programs.
Raised $600k under his first official program tenure with Slyguise
Countless artists owe him eternal gratitude for his guidance and many revere him in awe for never asking anything in return. A man of the people, for the people, a legion stands behind him and his credo: You win, We win
Jean Jaques Ribi
Awarded digital artist, father of Photopaint, since 2004 his work was exhibited in Galleries in Europe, USA and Latin America, as well as fine institutions the likes of MOLAA museum in Los Angeles, Contemporary Art Museum in Panama, Museum of National Identity Honduras, Art Basel Miami, etc.
20 years of experience in the fine art market and an extensive network spreading across the western world, coupled with an outstanding career in advertising production, marketing and communications, having worked in projects for clients like Audi, Lamborghini, Ikea, Lufthansa, BMW etc.
His experience gives him both intimate knowledge of the art market, with close connections to many relevant digital artists, as well as the expertise to promote artists and ventures according to the highest standards in the market.
7 Summary/manifesto of your Space. What is the unique value prop / elevator pitch? What type of art will you focus on? How will your Space stand out among the crowd?
Blakkat intends to be a space that bridges the traditional art market with the new digital art movement.
With a team of specialists in each sector, we strive to bring to the NFT space a new flow of collectors, artists and connections with renowned institutions.
The NFT market is still in its early phase, although still thriving, we are fully aware that the main volume of liquidity hasnât entered the space yet.
With our initiative we plan to expand the boundaries of the digital domain, reaching for the yet untouched pool of resources and potential buyers outside the space: we aim to create synergies with recognized institutions, to establish NFTs as a lasting reality in the Fine Arts world.
Blakkat sets out to be a 2 ways portal, bringing digital artists to traditional markets as well as traditional artists to the digital market. Such strategy will bring the eyes of new collectors to our space, and subsequently a fresh injection of liquidity for a sustainable long term growth
Along with this commitment, we plan to establish the Blakkat brand in the NFT space, which will serve as a platform to trace a consistent growth for our artists, offering all sorts of promotional tools, marketing strategies and assistance, granting access to our teamâs expertise for their personal projects.
8 Describe you/your teamâs experience curating and promoting artwork:
For the sake of keeping the proposal as concise as possible, we will be answering question 8 in the same statement under question Number 9
9 Describe you/your teamâs experience organizing exhibitions, making art sales, running auctions, networking with collectors, etc.
Blakkat has 2 fields of operations: the first inside the NFT space and second in the traditional fine art market:
Inside the NFT market, Mentalist420 is a renowned collector, famous for some of the most successful trades in the space, counting over 200 $ETH in sales on secondary market.
With a network of 32k followers and counting, his communication and mastery of the algorithm give him a reach of 3 Millions viewers each months.
His art threads count with thousands of participants and the highest rate of sales.
His influence is given by the unbiased and selfless dedication to the space, making him one of the most recognized and trustworthy figures in the NFT world.
Outside the space Cristina Grasso operates among the highest echelons in the fine art world, counting clients like Prince Albert, a few Saudi royals as well as the top collectors in Europe.
Former director of renowned galleries, manager of some of Europeâs most important collections, she organized and curated exhibitions for the likes of Venice Biennale and Monacoâs Yacht Club and renowned artists like Fedor Suskov and Giovanni Grifo
With over 35 years of experience in the fine arts world, Cristina has developed close relationships with important institutions and is well connected with all the main auction houses.
As virtual gallery we already established a relationship with Sothebyâs directors who are already following our project with great interest.
Jen Jaques Ribi is a skilled artist with 2 decades of experience in the art market as well as advertising, marketing and promotional strategies.
Expert in psychology of communication and social engineering, he offers a unique expertise applicable to the digital market.
The long experience as producer in advertising, art events, fashion shows and festivals, makes him a complete professional in terms of production and communication, able to singlehandedly produce and coordinate communication for any scale of event, both in the digital space as well as the physical world.
This team constitutes all together a trifecta, mastering network, knowhow and expertise, we guarantee peak performance on all aspects of our business model.
10 Are there new artists youâd like to bring into the Space in the first six months? What is your relationship to them?
These are the two artists we are considering for the first 6 months:
Ellen Sandor, one of the most influential digital artists in USAâs high society, wife of Richard Sandor, chairman and CEO of the American Financial Exchange, head of the renowned Sandor Art Collection.
Dear friend, she and JJRibi have exhibited together and her husband is one of his collectors. https://www.sandor-collection.com
Lesa Amoore, famous ex top model, now celebrity fine art photographer, known for working closely with Gigi Hadid and other top show-business figures, as well as renowned brands and magazines.
She is intimate friend with JJRibi with the 2 collaborating in an art collection
Other names like Juliette Jourdain, Hannah Yata, come to mind, but most importantly, our network can virtually reach any artist, including the ones of the caliber of JR
We also have an ambitious strategy to bring about the association of NFTs to works from the great masters of â900: by offering NFTs as a means of authentication and track record for the greatest artworks of the past century, we strive to open their market to the crypto space.
Just imagine the implications that an NFT Picasso will entail, in terms of exposure, relevance and status for the NFT world
11 Are there any artists already in the CryptoArt space that you are planning to work with for this Space? Have they committed to participating yet?
In the space talks have been initiated with more than a dozen artists.
The core group of already committed artists are:
Natalie Shau: considered one of top photo artists in the world, published in Vogue, featured by Wacom, 100k followers in instagram, managed by Opera Gallery
Paul Massey: multi awarded digital artist, 30 years of experience, working for blue chip clients, 2 CG society Golden Award, 3D Total Excellence Award
Xenotrip: master 3D sculptor and animator, C4D/Redshift astounding workflow. Grown up in Middle-East , raised in a post-war dystopian environment, his creations are forged by hardship and adversities.
JJRibi: multi awarded digital artist, part of Coca Cola collection, part of Sandor Collection, digital pioneer in fine art market, formerly part of MOLAA Museum collection
Sen Paul: Self taught 3d modeler and animator, talented story teller, digital filmmaker with multiple awards in CGI, short movies and indie film festivals.
Cassiopeus**:** Digital Artist specialized in retro-punk and dark surrealism: Superrare artist, displayed in local galleries, bigger local expos like White Night and events like WOW Summit in Dubai. https://superrare.com/cassiopeus
Many other relevant artists have expressed their interest, but are waiting for further developments before being officially included
12 Please provide any additional details you can about how you plan to operate this Space; e.g. cadence of exhibitions, auction strategy, number of artworks, other ideas for promoting your art and artists, etc.
Exhibitions wise Blakkat plans to operate along 3 main avenues, in order to keep a constant yet variated presence on the market:
1 Gallery
Organizing curated exhibitions: These are focused either on solo artists or theme oriented collectives, onboarding both established artist form NFT as well as from the fine art market.
Possible cadence: every 2 months
2 Collective
After a careful process, a curated selection of artists, defining the collectiveâs core, will have access to mint their artworks on our platform as benefit for adhering to our program
3 Auction House
Twice a year we will be organizing auctions, with the intention of attracting new top tier collectors from traditional art world.
On a recurrent basis, works from represented artists, will be submitted to auction houses and institutions
Each event will entail a full scale production, consisting in coordinated campaigns across all platforms, promotional material like professional videos and images, as well a media kit for press and mainstream media.
13 How do you plan to structure commission rates for the artists who release in your Space?
The Superrare DAO and its platform, retain reciprocally 5% and 3% commissions from primary sales, and a total of 3% on secondary sales commissions.
On top of that, spaces are allocated by default a 10% commission on primary sales, with freedom to change it in the future.
At first launch, commission structures will be set globally for each space, so all artists/releases will require the same commission structure to begin with.
Here is the internal commission structure as we envisioned for the future:
A carefully curated selection of resident artists will have fee minting access to our space, according to a scheduled minting plan. Those mints will be charged a 10% fee dedicated to maintain the space and its operations.
Gallery exhibitions will be charging 10% commissions.
The fee will include production and media plan for promotional material.
Fees for auctions toward external collectors operated from the space will amount to 20%
Fees for submitting artworks to auction houses will amount to 10%
14 To you, what is the importance of NFTs as a medium/technology? Where do you see the NFT and CryptoArt space in five years?
Blakkat considers NFTs the digital renaissance, becoming in the near future, the lead space in the art market.
NFTs will reach way beyond art itself, we know this for certain, as weâre in contact with companies developing digital jewels and tokenization for high profile watches.
We see this space as an ever expanding market that, in the near future, will be trading in all sorts of luxury goods.
15 If your Space were a cocktail or a dish, what would it be and why?
Blakkat is a dish of molecular cusine: mixing tradition with innovation, with a clean surgical methodology, we do not satisfy hunger, we provide unforgettable experiences.
16 Anything else youâd like the community to consider?
Blakkat is ultimately a crypto gallery with the soul of a collective, looking to establish the NFT space amongst the echelons of the fine art world.
Our model is focused on two of the criticalities the NFT space is yet lacking:
1- An artist oriented business model, that will favor their growth as well as offering all the tools necessary to establish their brand in the market.
2- A clear strategy to bring in fresh liquidity and higher number of collectors to the space, aware that the current artists/collectors ratio is unsustainable for the long run.
We are fully committed to make the NFT space as thriving model, bringing to the table effective solutions to impact the whole community at large.
We are prepared, hungry and ambitious, join us and support our journey!
Just reviewed the SR commission structure that was released today on discord, there is an extra 3% we didnt account for meaning our fees/commissions will have to be reviewed on the lower side
4. SuperRare username(s) of everyone who will be a Space admin:
Daniel Pfalzgrafâs account is @Cr8_alt_del, though a new account will be created for the WheelHouse Art Space.
5. Short bio of you and/or your team:
Daniel Pfalzgraf is a multi-media artist and curator who has been exhibiting art and working for art museums and galleries for over 20 years. He earned a BFA in drawing and sculpture from Murray State University and an MBA from Indiana University Southeast.
January 1, 2021, Pfalzgraf purchased B. Deemer Gallery, a premier art gallery founded in Louisville, Kentucky in 1990. Since taking ownership of the gallery, Pfalzgraf has begun rebranding it as WheelHouse Art, LLC, a multi-faceted fine art and services provider.
Prior to owning WheelHouse Art (WHA), Pfalzgraf was the art curator for the Carnegie Center for Art & History in New Albany, Indiana. Pfalzgraf was also previously Director of the green building gallery, Director of Media Services at B. Deemer Gallery, and an assistant preparator at the Speed Art Museum (all in Louisville, Kentucky) and was the Media Coordinator at Bill Lowe Gallery in Atlanta, Georgia. He has also worked as an independent curator creating exhibitions under the name of LoCAL.gallery.
Pfalzgrafâs most recent series of his own artwork, Kentucky Game, are blind contour drawings on paper painted in with oil paint and other mixed media and explore the themes of attraction, hunting, and collecting. Pfalzgraf has also been developing digital artwork as part of the Kentucky Game series.
Beyond art, his interests include wolves, soccer, skateboarding, and ice cream. In that order. Woof.
7. Summary/manifesto of your Space. What is the unique value prop / elevator pitch? What type of art will you focus on? How will your Space stand out among the crowd?
The WheelHouse Art (WHA) Space will be an online exhibition extension of the WheelHouse Art brick-and-mortar space.
WHA will focus on multi-disciplinary artist, integrating artwork that crosses over both digital and analog worlds. The goal of WHA is to expand the practice, appreciation, and collecting of contemporary art, and digital-based work through platforms like SuperRare is an opportunity for growth.
The biggest room for growth in NFTs is engaging with art enthusiasts who have little to no experience creating, displaying, and collecting digital artwork. The current NFT audience are heavily skewed towards a young and technically savvy individuals. WHA will engage with base audiences already on the SuperRare platform, while growing participation by catering to multi-generational artists and collectors who arenât new to art collecting, but new to NFTs through itâs well-established gallery.
8. Describe you/your teamâs experience curating and promoting artwork:
Daniel Pfalzgraf began curating art exhibitions in 2010 when he started independently curating in Louisville, Kentucky under the name LoCAL.gallery, where he curated exhibitions for the Speed Art Museum, the Muhammad Ali Center, and the City of Louisville Metro Hall, among other spaces. Shortly thereafter, he curated shows for the green building gallery, which he ran from 2012 â 2015.
Prior to becoming a gallery owner in January, Daniel Pfalzgraf was the curator for the Carnegie Center for Art and History from 2015 â 2020. In all, Pfalzgraf has organized over 50 exhibitions over the past 11 years, over 40 of which he curated himself.
Pfalzgrafâs life mission has always been to expand the understanding and appreciation of contemporary art to more people. That mission began as an artist creating unique, immersive installation-based artwork, and has continued to grow through his curation practices. At the heart of his curating, Pfalzgraf seeks unique, personal associations to attract broad audiences, and populates the exhibitions with high-quality work. By providing a point of reference to start with, exhibitions curated by Pfalzgraf give viewers a level of comfort that allows them to freely explore the artwork regardless of how much experience theyâve had with contemporary art in the past.
Here is a sampling of just some of the exhibitions Pfalzgraf curated while at the Carnegie Center that represent the diversity of art, themes, and artists Pfalzgraf promoted through the museum:
This is an exhibit born out of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, created to provide space for people to be seen and heard. This exhibition is about sharing histories and celebrate lives, and to encourage understanding and respect among neighbors. In this moment in history, the Carnegie Center for Art & History felt a sense of urgency to share our space to highlight the work and vision of both local and national African American artists to bring national conversations to our space and community.
Artists include: Ray Dalton, Stephen Flemister, Robyn Gibson, Natasha Giles, Christina Long, Fahamu Pecou, LaNia Roberts, Dread Scott, Scheherazade Tillet, Shawn Michael Warren
An exhibition exploring the enduring influence of comics, an art form created for the masses, and the personal, individual influence comics has had with each of the artists in this exhibition. A direct evolutionary line can be traced from early Superman to Stan Lee to Robert Crumb to the artists included in Pulp Art: Out of the gutter and on the walls. The variation of voice and style born from the humble pulp beginnings is truly remarkable.
Artists included: Kerry James Marshall, Joel Mcdonald, Andrei Molotiu, Yoko Molotov, Niagara, Robert Pruitt, Seth Scantlen, Malcolm Mobutu Smith, Britt Spencer, Fred Stonehouse
A group exhibition featuring work by prominent local and national artists who explore the unique connection between humankind and domesticated animals.
Artists included: Rachael Banks, Malcolm Bucknall, Timothy Callaghan, Gaela Erwin, Carlos Gamez de Francisco, Sonya Yong James, Douglas Miller, William Wegman
A group exhibition of artwork by prominent local and national artists whose lives and work are influenced by the creative culture of skateboarding. This exhibition was created to celebrate the New Albany Flow Parkâa 15,000 square foot skateable work of public art spearheaded by Daniel Pfalzgraf and opened in 2019.
Artist included: Leo Baker, Lori Damiano, Mark Gonzales, Ben Horton, Matthew McDole, Joseph Minek, Don Pendleton, Jared Steffensen, Tony Tafuro, Leon Washere
A graffiti-inspired art exhibition presenting work by some of the best graffiti artists in the area for an exhibition of graffiti painted directly on the walls inside the museum. Marks on Society was a changing exhibition, altered and updated during the course of the show similar to how popular graffiti spots get painted on, buffed out, and painted over again.
By highlighting the artistry, people, and process of the graffiti art form, Marks on Society challenged stereotypes of street art and transformed the museum space. Gallery text and programs shared the history of graffiti, terms and lessons on different styles, materials, culture, and intentions of artists.
A group show featuring hair as a form of personal expression, as cultural relic, and as artistic medium. Permanent and Natural explored the diverse contexts in which artists have incorporated the natural, malleable material that is deeply connected to individual and community identity.
Artists include: Alison Braun, Sonya Clark, CreativeSoul Photography, Y. Malik Jalal, James Russell May, Gabrielle Mayer, Fahamu Pecou, Steve Spencer, Alexis Eke, Stacey Vest
9. Describe you/your teamâs experience organizing exhibitions, making art sales, running auctions, networking with collectors, etc.
Pfalzgraf has worked in art museums for over seven years, and in commercial art galleries for over 14 years. He has organized over 50 exhibitions in the past 11 years, over 40 of which he curated himself. He has also juried over a dozen more exhibitions over that time.
It was his extensive work with art collectors that made him realize it was time to leave his stable career as an art curator at a museum to become a gallery owner. Seeing gaps in the art market that werenât being served, Pfalzgraf has expanded the gallery he took over with more work and services. This has led to the gallery to being on pace for one of its best years in its 30-plus year history.
Much of this success can be attributed to Pfalzgrafâs experience working with artists and collectors, building exhibitions and marketing them. In the past ten months, Pfalzgraf has increased the galleryâs Instagram followers by 55.5% since taking over. He has also created a new gallery website, replacing an outdated site that wasnât mobile friendly to one with ecommerce capabilities. These updates, combined with a dedicated online marketing program, have already seen a net positive effect with multiple online sales of artwork from new clients, shipping artwork to multiple states throughout the Eastern United States.
10. Are there new artists youâd like to bring into the Space in the first six months? What is your relationship to them?
11. Are there any artists already in the CryptoArt space that you are planning to work with for this Space? Have they committed to participating yet?
A primary focus for WheelHouse Art (WHA) is to promote and support art and artists connected to Louisville, Kentucky and regionally throughout the Southern and Midwestern United States (Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Missouri, Virginia, West Virginia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin).
WHA will achieve this first by bringing in new artists to the platform from the region who have little experience in the NFT universe. That will get creators here recognized more broadly outside of the region. Kentucky is a state full of talent, but largely behind the curve when it comes to societal-technological advances. WheelHouse Art has been developing a roster of artists whose artwork readily translates between traditional physical artwork and digital formats. A few of the artists who have express interest in showing with the gallery digitally include:
Another opportunity for WHA to support the artists and collectors here would be to exhibit already established artists showing work on CryptoArt platforms in an effort to educate collectors and show artists what is possible.
WHA has not contacted any current CryptoArtists about the possibility of exhibiting in this online Space yet, but would begin reaching out to some of the contacts owner Daniel Pfalzgraf has made over the years engaging with the community on Twitter, at Eyeo Festival, or while working on an exhibition for the Carnegie Center that subsequently got cancelled when Pfalzgraf left to take over the gallery (*more on that later, see question 16).
12. Please provide any additional details you can about how you plan to operate this Space; e.g. cadence of exhibitions, auction strategy, number of artworks, other ideas for promoting your art and artists, etc.
WheelHouse Artâs (WHA) current exhibition schedule currently runs on approximately 60 day cycles, or roughly six full-gallery change-overs per year. The gallery features one main primary exhibition of a solo, duo or group of artists, as well as two to six smaller secondary collections of artistsâ works on display throughout the gallery.
Each main primary exhibition typically has approximately one to two dozen pieces on display at a time, and stay on display for the full 60+ day exhibition period. The smaller featured secondary collections exhibit up to a half dozen pieces by a single artist and the amount of time the work is on view is less defined. Sometimes they will stay on view for the full 60+ day period as the main primary featured exhibition, while sometimes they may get changed out after a period of a few weeks.
The WHA Space on SuperRare would likely follow a similar pattern. Initially, the online exhibitions may be independent of the physical exhibitions on view in the gallery space as the gallery works on developing its base of artists who create both analog and digital artwork. Eventually, WHA will integrate exhibitions in both spaces simultaneously. So, for example, an exhibition of artwork by Yoko Molotov will be hosted with analog work in the gallery space while digital work will be available online at the SuperRare WHA Space. Ideally, WHA would include a display in the gallery space showing the WHA Space, so visitors to the physical gallery will more readily associate the two exhibitions as being a part of one larger experience. And from the opposite side, visitors to the SuperRare WHA Space will have links to view and purchase the physical artwork available should they be interested in the owning cross-media work by an artist.
For clarification, the artists themselves will decide what they create artistically. The digital work they make may be a separate experience from the physical work should they so choose. Sometimes the two bodies of work may reference one another, and at other times they may decide to make one-for-one versions of the same imagery (like displaying prints of their digital pieces, for example).
Exhibitions and artists will be promoted online via website, email newsletters, social media platforms, and dedicated press releases the galleryâs 160+ media contacts, as well as through paid online advertising, primarily via Google and social media. WHA will also likely offer discounts on physical artwork sold in the gallery to anyone who also purchases digital work through the WHA Space.
As of now, WHA plans to roll out auctions six to 12 months after the WHA Space has opened, allowing the Space to accumulate enough traffic/followers to produce demand for competing bids. WHA will likely begin by offering auctions of individual pieces or small collections of work by in the secondary collections. This will allow new collectors to the space to become acclimated to the process of bidding. As auction action matures in the Space, WHA will open more auctions with artwork in the primary featured exhibitions. The details may change, but as of right now WHA will likely offer a âbuy nowâ price for collectors when an exhibition opens. About three weeks after an exhibition opens, a portion of the pieces on view will be become available for auction, with a reserve price of approximately 60% of the buy now price. The auctions will remain open for one week. During the last week of an exhibition, the remaining works that are still available will be put up on auction with a reserve price of 50% of the buy now price.
13. How do you plan to structure commission rates for the artists who release in your Space?
The physical WheelHouse Art (WHA) gallery space operates with traditional artist/gallery commission rate of 50% Artist/50% Gallery sales splits.
However, given the reduced overhead anticipated operating the WHA Space online, and the engagement curve of starting a new space, WHA expects to initially start with the default 85% Artist/10% WHA Space/5% SuperRare sales commission splits. As the WHA brand expands, with steady track record of increased sales and more money and resources are poured into maintaining and promoting the Space, WHA will likely increase its commission another 5% for a sales breakdown of 80% Artist/15% WHA/5% SuperRare.
One thing Daniel Pfalzgraf has picked up from the CryptoArt world, and from SuperRare in particular, is the practice of providing artists with commissions off sales not only from the first-time sale of an artwork, but from additional sales on the secondary market. Thanks to this practice that SuperRare has helped make standard practice, WHA also provides a commission split for any living artist whose work is resold through the gallery on behalf of a client, with 65% Seller/30% WHA/5% Artist sales splits of secondary art market sales. A rare, if not otherwise unheard-of, practice in the traditional art world, all thanks to the CryptoArt community.
If WHA Space will also be able to structure commission rates for secondary market sales of work originally purchased in the WHA Space, then it would look to structure something around 90% Seller/8% Artist/2% WHA to 85% Seller/10% Artist/5% WHA sales commission splits.
14. To you, what is the importance of NFTs as a medium/technology? Where do you see the NFT and CryptoArt space in five years?
Everyone knows the ever-increasing integration and consumption of technology, screens, internet access has developed in society, blah, blah, blahâŚEverything that has been written about how NFT/blockchain technologies are finally providing proof of ownership and provenance to unique digital assets to allow the artworld to catch up and participate in this every expanding digital culture is all true. We all know this, we all get it.
What is really interesting to Daniel Pfalzgraf are other shifts in social practices that NFTs can integrate with more than traditional artwork has. Specifically, he looks at shifts in attitudes towards material ownership and mobility of Millennial and Gen-Y segments. 20 and 30-somethings are purchasing fewer homes, and renting more. Fewer are buying cars, and are instead are relying more on ride-sharing/biking/public transit/etc.
This is a shift in personal mobility, with fewer attachments to spaces and objects. Though that doesnât mean people will be uninterested in art or collecting. What it means is they arenât as interested in buying a six-foot wide painting that they have to pack up and take with them every time they move across town or across the country. With NFTs, one only needs internet access to take with you if you want to move to San Francisco for six months, followed by a year in Japan, and everywhere else you may want to live around the world for any amount of time. CryptoArt can also be more readily bought and sold to match your desires and attachments at any given time.
A second aspect to look forward to with CryptoArt over the next five years is the expanding development and integration of 5G and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. One of the biggest barriers for CryptoArt is the transmutability of viewing artwork. You can easily view your collection on your phone, tablet, or computer, but hopefully Dapp development will better integrate with IoT tech to easily view/display your CryptoArt collection on television screens, as well as screens in vehicles, refrigerators, public spaces, or anywhere someone wants to personalize their environment.
15. If your Space were a cocktail or a dish, what would it be and why?
WheelHouse Art (WHA) is based in Kentucky, so above all else, our answer to this question absolutely must involve bourbon. And being in Louisville, we are particularly attached to Brown-Forman bourbons like Old Forrester, or our favorite Woodford Reserve.
Now that is established, WHA can be characterized best as an Old Fashioned. That may not sound like a great moniker to associate with one of the youngest and most exciting movements in the artworld but let me explain.
The Old Fashioned has been around for a long, long time. WHA was founded 31 years ago, a considerable amount of time for an art gallery. Old Fashioneds are gateway cocktails for people who know they want something nice but may not be familiar with classic cocktails. WHA is above all a service, connecting art lovers and the art curious with art they will love, regardless of how familiar they are with contemporary art. Collectors may not always know what they want when they come here, but they know and trust that we show quality. An Old Fashioned is made with a high-proof bourbon, sugar, bitters, ice, and a garnish. Itâs strong, and it can be a little sweet, and sometimes a little bitter. Itâs meant for sipping and savoring. The ice lets it go down cool and smooth, while the bourbon still gives a little bite. The garnish is a nice little touch of flare that sets it off.
That is exactly how one would describe WheelHouse Art.
16. Anything else youâd like the community to consider?
You may recognize that while WheelHouse Art and Daniel Pfalzgraf is deep in traditional art experience, their experience with digital and CryptoArt is a little shallower. That is a fair point.
Pfalzgraf has been following digital and CryptoArt since early 2018 like many new followers at the time after stumbling across âWhat is CryptoArt?â by Jason Baily on Artnome.com. Since then, Pfalzgraf has put himself into the position of experiencing how one engages with CryptoArt both as an artist and a collector by minting work on Pixura, and purchasing artwork on SuperRare.
Pfalzgraf was also working on co-curating an exhibition of digital artwork with Luba Elliott while at the Carnegie Center for Art and History. The show, titled Past Performance as Indicator of Future Outcomes, was going to be the first exhibition of Artificial Intelligence based artwork in the region, and it was going to be exhibiting work entirely by women working with AI. Unfortunately, when Pfalzgraf left the museum to purchase the gallery, the museum leadership decided to cancel the exhibition rather than have him continue working on it.
Even though the Past Performance⌠exhibition was cancelled, Pfalzgraf still hopes to work with some of the artists that had agreed to participate in that exhibition such as Helena Sarin, Sougwen Chung, Anna Ridler, and Sofia Crespo to name a few.
A SuperRare WHA Space would provide a great opportunity to continue the work started at the Carnegie Center and introduce the work by these artists to this region both in the gallery and in the Space.
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I totally support your mission of finding unknown artists and giving them a space to be recognized and celebrated. Iâd probably consider myself a âlaypersonâ, since I donât have any previous experience in the art world, so I hope to bring that perspective and voice to the NFT community.
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