Here’s how Newberry’s NFT Museum brings crypto to center stage

NEWBERRY, SC – A museum in Newberry is working to bring art into the digital age by incorporating non-fungible tokens, or NFTs.

NFTs are digital assets that represent things like art and music virtually.

The NFT Museum opened downtown in 2021 with the goal of creating a space for digital creators to showcase their work while educating the community about the process.

Robert Matheson owns the museum and said that interaction with NFTs starts with a digital wallet, then access to a virtual marketplace where NFTs are sold.

“You use cryptocurrencies to trade,” Matheson said.

A cryptocurrency is a digital form of payment. The online marketplace allows digital artists to register their works on what’s called a blockchain, cutting down on copycats and letting them keep more money, according to Matheson.

“Nobody wants a copy of the original artist’s work, right? They want the real thing and that’s what blockchain allows,” Matheson said. “It proves the ownership.”

The NFT museum is a place to see some of the digital works both projected and in physical form.

Neville Glover is a longtime restaurant owner in Newberry who recently started making NFTs, after meeting Matheson.

“I think everybody’s going to be surprised when they see it,” Glover said. “Just something I like to do.”

So far, he says he’s made about $1,000.

Jerry Lane also found an interest in digital art. The Newberry County resident wrote a children’s book featuring digital artwork. He hopes interaction with the museum will inspire more artists and community members to get involved.

“There’s a movement out there, and I think that movement is saying we need to get on board and embrace what’s going on,” Lane said.

Gage Fowler is a former Newberry student and was visiting the area. He said the museum offers an opportunity for the city to be at the forefront of the technology world.

“Other than just regular art on like a canvas or a painting or something like that,” Fowler said. “So you know, go into the future.”

The museum is located at 1110 Harrington Street in Newberry. Visits are from 12-4pm or by appointment.

They also have a digital workstation to help those interested in creating digital art and learning about cryptocurrency. To learn more visit nonfungibletokenmuseum.org