NFT .NYC – How the Web3 site validates the work of digital artists

by · July 6, 2022

After the conclusion of the fourth annual NFT.NYC conference, participants took the opportunity to reflect on a week of artistic inspiration, networking and developer innovation from the NFT area (nonfungible token).

A sequel to last year’s popular debut, The Digital Diaspora Event on June 19, served as a dedicated exhibition, panel discussion and fundraiser to amplify the voices and creative talents of color artists in the NFT room.

The event was a collaboration between renowned skyscraper photographer DrifterShoots and youthful artist Diana Sinclair, in collaboration with sponsors MetaMask and Samsung, and was held at the Samsung 837 hub in the Meatpacking District of Manhattan, New York on Father’s Day and Juneteenth.

Organized by Community Manager at MetaMask, Faith Love, panelists were Diana Sinclair, Emonee LaRussa, Andre O’Shea, Elise Swopes, Cory Van Lew and a stage performance from DrifterShoots.

June 19, known as Juneteenth, is one of the most culturally significant days in the American calendar, marking the historic moment in 1865 when the last African Americans were freed from slavery in Galveston, Texas.

Today, the federal holiday Juneteenth serves as a poignant reminder to consciously reflect on the atrocities of the past, but it is also an opportunity to reinforce the societal narrative of cultural diversity and representation, as well as to celebrate the modern achievements of people of color.

The digital diaspora – with “diaspora” referring to global migration and the displacement of people of similar culture or origin – was a celebration of black culture, aimed at bringing “awareness of issues of racism and inequality, while highlighting the beauty of the art that was born “. from these ever-present battles, ”according to the website.

“The Digital Diaspora is an art exhibition that pays homage to black culture and the people who design it, and lifts voices that are often unheard of and provides a platform for the smaller sets. By showing and celebrating the chosen artists and through the charity that has been chosen, we push forward to design and build a future that truly welcomes black art in its truest form. ”

The Digital Diaspora event was personally attended by Cointelegraph’s NFT reporter, Tom Farren, as part of his week-long reporting duties at the NFT.NYC conference.

Picture from left to right: Faith Love, Diana Sinclair, Emonee LaRussa, Andre O’Shea, Elise Swopes and Cory Van Lew.

Sinclair shared insights into the inspiration and origins of a recent work entitled “You Can’t Smooth A Crumpled Paper Or A Wrinkled Heart” in collaboration with musician and producer Reuel Williams.

“It was a very intense work of art that took a lot of time to create. This piece was a lot about the process of it, in fact, rather than the exact final work of art,” Sinclair said before continuing:

“I made a video collage of this friend of mine [where] she breathes and moves. I printed out each frame of the video, curled it with my brother and flattened each frame, so now it’s like a crumpled piece of paper. Then I scanned and turned it into a stop motion video, and my mother made a poem that came with it. ”

Williams was instrumental in developing the play to a “completely different level,” Sinclair said. The pervasive sounds of the musical soundtrack give a structural intensity to the visual image, and complement the narrative of progression in the face of adversity.

“This piece is about endurance and how even though we – that is, black people in this country – have become wrinkled, have become flat, have gone through so much struggle, that we still persist, and we continue. So it’s a looping -video, in Sinclair.

An accompanying poem was written for the play by Sinclair’s mother, Leia. The last four lines read: “We lift wrinkled hearts to the sun for healing / While we show beautiful shades / Of smooth untouched shea butter skin / To the world.”

Sinclair and Williams’ collaboration is one of nine that was shown at the event and is currently under auction. Others include Yacht Lounge by Cory Van Lew, Bask in the Glow by Elise Swopes, and One Decision Away by Andre O’Shea, among others.

Related: Crypto secures a place in the African American saga

Andre O’Shea spoke with eloquence on the topic of black representation in the NFT room, and shared his belief that progress exists in the form of an infinite symbol where when a circle – showing an artist’s career or creative contribution – ends, the next circle continues the cycle for the next generation.

“When I become an artist in the Web3 area, I see how validated we are as digital artists now [because it] gives us this platform. But also, talking about the new opportunities it gives us is much like what Diane is doing now – creating more space for us, creating more space for us, actually paving the way. “

The perpetual ability to expand the branches of opportunity and lift new creators and voices is a significant advantage in the Web3 site compared to its predecessor, O’Shea claimed.

Emonee LaRussa, a two-time Emmy-winning motion graphics artist and founder of the nonprofit project Jumpstart Designers, used her time on the panel to publicly announce her curation of an upcoming Nov. 5 event in Los Angeles at the SuperChief Gallery.

She also shared her philosophy behind Jumpstart Designers, and the ways the education program supports young creators from underserved communities to develop their digital skills on Adobe Creative Cloud, and access the necessary computing equipment.

– This has been a dream for me since I was little. I did not grow up with a lot of money, and being in digital art I had realized […] that I did not have access really made me realize how dependent my dreams were on money. ”

“And so I wanted to change the future of digital art. So that’s our motto: change the future of digital art. Because we really believe that by bringing these kids, you will see new experiences, new stories that you have never seen before. , and they will not be limited to what they can create. ”

In 2021, 25-year-old LaRussa supervised six new artists as part of the Voice NFT Residency to create and auction their own NFT artwork. All $ 38,742 raised to date have been donated to low-income children who want to increase their digital skills and animation skills.

“We all know, digital art is very expensive. And how many kids out there are just so talented, so creative and do not even have the opportunity? NFTs have changed our lives and how many opportunities NFTs give us, they are just not even in doubt about it. So we want to change that. ”

Invited to the stage from its seat among the audience, DrifterShoots, often referred to as Drift, shared their gratitude for the approximately 1,000 people who were physically present.

“This means the world to us,” he said. “You know, space can be a lot of smoke and mirrors at times – people who play with ‘pretend money’ and stuff like that. But I think ultimately as artists, especially as black artists, with purpose and real intentions, that we wants our art, our lives, our stories to have a clear impact on the world. ”