By: Robert Lovi By: Robert Lovi | April 19, 2022 | Culture, People, Lifestyle,
The Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami (ICA Miami) is extending its participation in the digital art sector following the acquisition by CryptoPunk in July. ICA Miami is now the first major U.S institution to lead its own NFT platform, one of the few institutions with an NFT in its collection.
See Also: LOFTY Announces First NFT Art Collective For Buyers With Miami Icon Carlos Betancourt
On April 9, ICA Miami, in collaboration with Palm and LiveArtX, debuted its own NFT Platform, the first of its kind in the United States. The platform was launched at The 365 Party, the organization's annual fundraising extravaganza, with an auction of three pieces by artist Cory Van Lew in both physical and digital formats. Four works (including the three described above) were constructed live at the gala; the museum added one of them to its permanent collection. Bids could be made in cash or Ethereum on the museum's website, with earnings going toward funding the museum's ongoing free arts programming and educational objectives.
The NFT Platform at the ICA Miami illustrates how museum-run NFT marketplaces might appear. In addition to generating a new revenue stream, it provides the institution with future chances to retain connections with its digital patrons, including supplementary content or benefits, and engage the creator community more fully - all as part of a more extensive NFT program.
The Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami's (ICA) annual 365 Party, which took place on April 9, in the museum's Sculpture Garden, brought together Miami's business, civic, and philanthropic groups to celebrate the private sector's impact on South Florida's cultural vitality.
Besides NFT art, the event also featured new pieces created by student artists, highlighting ICA Miami's teen programs and the museum's work to educate and inspire the community's future generation of artists.
Jorge Gonzalez, Vice Chairman and CEO of City National Bank of Florida, was honored at this year's 365 Party for championing ICA Miami's free entry program and the museum's commitment to making cutting-edge contemporary art and ideas accessible to all. Gonzalez, a native of Miami, emphasizes community, education, health, and culture at the center of his ideology. Since the museum's inception in 2014, he has served as a Trustee at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami. Since 2018, City National Bank of Florida, under his guidance, has generously funded ICA Miami's free entry program, allowing the museum to welcome and serve 600,000 visitors for free.
“City National Bank’s sustained support for ICA Miami is a reflection of Jorge’s leadership, and the belief that our arts community is essential to the future of Miami,” said Alex Gartenfeld, Artistic Director of the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami. “With CNB’s help, ICA Miami has welcomed 600,000 people through our doors free of charge, many of whom would not otherwise have had an opportunity to engage with contemporary art in a museum setting.”
Hundreds of guests were immersed in the museum's Sculpture Garden, which featured works by Mark Handforth, Allora & Calzadilla, Pedro Reyes, and Damian Ortega. The 365 Party at ICA Miami included a fabulous evening of cocktails, dinner, and dancing as hundreds of guests were immersed in the museum's Sculpture Garden featuring works by Mark Handforth, Allora & Calzadilla, Pedro Reyes, and Damian Ortega.
The ICA Miami's NFT Platform was built sustainably on the Palm network by Palm NFT Studio and hosted on the LiveArtX platform. A fourth NFT/painting pair was added to the museum's permanent collection through a donation from the artist. Van Lew has been strongly motivated by the ongoing collective experience of the pandemic, and his new work builds on a series of paintings and NFTs containing pandemic-related images. The faceless figures in hazmat suits, their faces concealed by masks, are depicted uncannily in the artist's distinctive warm pinks and blues in these pieces.
Van Lew, who lives and works in Miami, is a visual artist noted for his boldness. Cory has become one of the most renowned artists and voices in the NFT community, collaborating with people and businesses like Mike Tyson, iHeart Radio, RTFKT Studios, Disney, and minting on platforms like SuperRare and OneOf. In addition to his considerable Web3 presence, he continues to build a traditional painterly technique and explores performance partnerships.
Photography by: Courtesy Cory Van Lew / ICA Miami, Chris Carter, Diana Zapata