Richmond muralist Hamilton Glass jumps into digital art with first NFT release

One of Richmond’s most prominent muralists and artists is dipping his toes into the realm of digital art with the release of a new NFT.

Hamilton Glass has become prominent in the area for its work behind the now thriving mural scene. Since 2012, he has created more than 55 murals and public art exhibitions across the region that have helped build a culture of public artists.

His first jump into the new age realm of non-fungible tokens is an update on one of his old concepts. Glass fans will know that he releases a new logo design for Richmond, stylized as RVA, at the beginning of each year. Hamilton’s collectible NFT is a new design for 2023.

The digital space and its possibilities are something new for him. This release is partly about experimenting with what he can do with virtual art.

“I wanted to enter this light; this is a new place for me. “Hopefully for those who grab one, we can kind of learn this together,” Glass said.

Buyers will spend around $25 for one of up to 1,000 NFTs. Glass also connects NFT with a piece of physical art. Anyone who purchases an NFT will receive the RVA design on a signed sticker.

The release also marks a new direction for Glass as an artist. Most of the mural projects that have raised his name as a Richmond artist have been commissions with creative direction from another party. Glass said he wants to invest more time in non-public art.

“Going forward I’m looking to do more work that comes directly from me. “NFTs sounded like a really good way to do that, to give people ownership of my work,” he said.

The digital art release brings other benefits to buyers Glass hopes can foster more community around his craft, which has been an important part of the growth of his brand.

Those who purchase four tokens will gain access to Glass’ “Buy Me a Coffee” platform, where fans get behind-the-scenes access to some of his events. Platform members often receive limited edition physical gifts from the artist.

Supporters of the technology say that as time goes by, these collectibles can increase in value and be resold. Should that happen, Glass will receive a small percentage of the sales fee.

Non-fungible tokens are unique pieces of digital property marked with identification codes and metadata. They are registered on a type of digital infrastructure called a “block chain”.

Intellectual property rights, royalty rights and terms for NFT will be secured by local tech startup MINTangible. Each NFT will be MINTangible certified to have license terms approved by Glass. These terms are bound to NFT.

The artist will retain the IP rights to the creative work of NFT while licensing out the digital collectible form for fans to own.

Glass also teamed up with TechRVA — a group pushing to grow Richmond’s tech economy — to help release the NFT. Owners will get access to the group’s Discord chat channels and community as an added digital benefit.

Collectors must have a digital wallet to store NFT. Instructions and a purchase page can be found on the TechRVA website.