Diversity and Inclusion / 22 posts found
18 Queer Artists Spreading Pride Throughout Web3
If we were to trace a line back through history, stopping to admire the works of influential queer creators of the many eras, we would undoubtedly find that LGBTQIA+ artists are, and always have been, a quintessential facet of the traditional art world. From Haring to Warhol to Basquiat, or even Michelangelo and da Vinci, the impact that queer artists have had throughout the ages is undeniable. While we hold the works of such queer “greats” in unspeakably high regard, it remains paramount to also recognize the contemporaries aiming to carve their name into the annals of art history. Especially […]
20 Caribbean Creators Sharing Their Cultural Traditions on the Blockchain
Web3 has a navel-gazing problem. While it’s hard to pass a day on Twitter without coming across rhetoric of the space’s accessibility and egalitarianism, it remains stubbornly Western-centric. Big international happenings like NFT Paris and NFT Korea Festival absolutely deserve credit for helping to broaden its scope, but even these events can feel like rehashes of the same figures, topics, and artwork that the North American and European crypto art market seem to dictate. Fortunately, there are increasingly common efforts to make Web3 more representative of the global audience of which it’s composed. One group making sure its cultural voice […]
Nine Projects Lifting Web3 Beyond the ‘Crypto Bro’ Norm
Unfortunately, the gender imbalance as it was known in Web2 discourse will still be with us in Web3. For the last ten years, the space has largely been pioneered and dominated by individuals who gravitated toward it from the tech and finance sectors, two areas ripe for criticism on gender inequality. However, while NFT critics and Web3 natives often slam the space for its “crypto bro” reputation, the reality is that there are several women and non-binary individual-led NFT communities that are actively working to upend that image. These NFT projects and Web3 collectives are educating women and members of […]
Sotheby’s All-Male Auction Shouldn’t Surprise Web3
Last week, legacy auction house Sotheby’s shut down the latest auction from its NFT initiative just two days after its March 24 opening. The show, entitled Natively Digital: Glitch-ism, featured 17 artists from the glitch art world, an aesthetic known for its distorted visuals, flashing lights, and erratic compositions. However, the show quickly courted controversy, coming under fire for not featuring a single woman artist in the auction’s roster. “Sotheby’s is pausing Natively Digital: Glitch-ism to redress the imbalance in representation within the sale, and will relaunch with a more equitable and diverse group of artists at a later date,” […]
From Rap to Web3: Heno’s Journey to Ignite Social Change
Ethiopian-Eritrean rapper Heno grew up in Takoma Park, Maryland, at the nexus of multiple worlds. As an honor roll student with street smarts, Heno experienced both the privileges and injustices of his environment. His family’s apartment was located next to his elementary and middle schools, a library, and a police station — a combination of places that would shape his perspective on life. As a child, Heno explains that one of his earliest memories involved a traumatic encounter with the police when they unlawfully entered his home, shining a flashlight and pointing a gun at him. He says he was […]
11 Black Founders Driving Innovation in Web3
Similar to Black artists, Black founders are making significant strides in the Web3 space, forging a path for themselves and their communities. However, they are still underrepresented. According to data from Crunchbase, Black founders in the U.S. received approximately $2.254 billion in venture capital funding out of the total $215.9 billion allocated. That’s only about one percent of capital raised. These trailblazers deserve recognition for their innovation, resilience, and the impact they’re making in the decentralized landscape — not just during events like Black History Month, but every day. With this in mind, nftnow has teamed up with Umba Daima, […]
14 Women and Women-Led Projects Building the Future of Web3
The face of Web3 is not what you think it is. The idea that it’s the exclusive arena for wealthy finance-turned-crypto bros is an inflated stereotype that finds less and less grounding in reality with each passing day. The stubborn perception that it is, however, remains undeniably potent. Being airbrushed from history in just about any field or industry is nothing new to women, which is why it’s crucial that the Web3 community acknowledge those driving the space forward while they’re doing it, not just in retrospect. Just as NASA’s early successes in the 1950s and 60s would not have […]
17 Influential Black Artists Shaping the Future of Web3
In 2023, crypto is seemingly becoming less of a stomping ground for wealthy white men. While racism and prejudice undoubtedly still exist on the blockchain — and the “crypto bro” stereotype has undoubtedly affected the formation of Web3 thus far — the NFT space has slowly but surely become a more equitable place for people of color to find community, support, and prosperity. From POC creators leading the charge in Web3 music to helping popularize IRL NFT activations to bootstrapping organizations so other marginalized groups can flourish, there has been no lack of decentralized Black excellence in the past few […]
5 Web3 Projects Fighting for Racial Justice
Web3 isn’t necessarily known for its inclusiveness or its diversity. And while the NFT space needs to ensure it’s doing everything it can to not pigeonhole itself into a one-dimensional club for the financial and social elite, the perception that it’s dominated by white men is increasingly becoming a stereotype. According to research from Charles Schwab, a larger percentage of Black Americans own crypto than white Americans. Twenty-five percent own some form of crypto compared to just 15 percent of white Americans. That statistical split jumps to 38 and 29 percent, respectively, when looking at investors under 40 years old. […]
How Nude Art NFTs Combat Censorship and Destigmatize Women’s Bodies
Few art subjects are more ancient, enduring, and controversial than the nude female form. From early prehistoric figurines like the Venus of Willendorf to Praxiteles’ Knidian Aphrodite statue, Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, and Manet’s Olympia, art depicting nude women has not only served as a vector of creative expression but as a mirror of society’s attitudes toward women for thousands of years. Tellingly, the reflections in that mirror have not always been pleasant and often reveal long-standing biases with which societies worldwide are still grappling. The Italian Early Renaissance artist Masaccio’s Expulsion from the Garden of Eden is a prime […]