Foundation and Topical Cream are Highlighting Gender Nonconforming Artists

The NFT auction platform and the NYC-based non-profit are teaming up.

Still from Danielle Braithwaite-Shirley, “PRAISE BLACK TRANS POWER,” 2021. Courtesy of the artist

The NFT art auction platform Foundation has made a business out of blending creative promotion and technological education, especially when it comes to helping artists bone up on NFTs: last week, the platform debuted Experimental Models, an NFT exhibition curated by Nora N. Khan, as part of a collaboration with the non-profit arts organization Topical Cream. Based in New York, Topical Cream revolves around the support of women and gender nonconforming creatives; the exhibition also functions as an auction of the work on display, which includes contributions from artists such as Rachel Rossin and Umber Majeed. Auctions that combine the funding of non-profits with traditional sales are already oft-employed by major auction houses, but the combination of this model with the work of up-and-coming-artists has vast potential as well.

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“It’s imperative that we move the needle by supporting the work of women-identifying and gender-nonconforming artists, whose work often pushes the boundaries of art, technology, fashion, music, and culture,” Lindsay Howard, Head of Community at Foundation, told Observer. “There’s a social dimension to the space, and by widening the spectrum of who is using this technology, you are bound to get more interesting and unexpected results. There is a diversity issue both within crypto and the art world, and we finally have an opportunity to change that.”

Kyt Janae, the the Director of Collector Relations at Foundation, told Observer in July that NFTs represent a heart-exploding level of opportunity for artists. “It felt like all of these really high level barriers of entry were cleared,” Janae said. “First it was like, can I sell NFTs? And then it: Can I make the NFT space cooler and better and bring in more interesting artists? Now, it’s: Can I develop markets for artists? Can I develop a market for Black artists and for queer artists?” With Experimental Models, it appears Janae’s efforts are well underway. 

Foundation and Topical Cream are Highlighting Gender Nonconforming Artists