OAKLAND MURALISTS TO MINT FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND NFT
NFT features a 3-D rendering of murals created on the 5th story of the Oakland Tribune Tower
Murals To The Metaverse, presented by The 5th Story artists, is a first-of-its-kind, digital collectible that has bridged murals and physical experiences with the NFT marketplace. Eight of Oakland’s leading artists have transformed the entire fifth story of the iconic Tribune Tower in Oakland into a menagerie of art and technological innovation. Without clients or funders to answer to, the artists had complete creative control over their work and set loose in what is arguably the most iconic building in Oakland.
Jet Martinez, Joshua Mays, Bud Snow, Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith, Vogue TDK, Yabe Media, Ruff Draft and Jeremy Patterson are both masters of their craft, and pillars of the arts in the Bay Area. They represent the Bay Area’s stylistic and cultural diversity, with work ranging from portrait photography and pop-surrealism to graffiti and Afro-futurism.
Bringing together street artists from multiple disciplines, Murals To The Metaverse, made possible by Endeavors, an Oakland-based grassroots initiative supporting culture and arts, speaks to the power of community on and off-line.
THE ARTISTS
“This was an opportunity to bring together a group of exceptionally talented local artists to create something that has never been done before. It was a collaborative process centering on the artists, where everyone involved dedicated their time for free, illustrating the deep importance of this project to each of us. We hope to set a blue-print for other muralists and analog creators who are curious about how these works can translate to a digital medium.”
– Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith (Curator, producer, and artist)
Bud Snow’s colorful neo-primalist work just earned her a mention by Playboy as an artists to watch in the NFT space, Jet Martinez’s delicate floral motifs blur the lines between fine art and street art, Joshua Mays’ afro-futurist imagery and abstraction expand collective imaginations, Ruff Draft’s multimedia photography translate current events and the emotions they convey, Vogue TDK’s photorealistic spray paint work has solidified him as a legend graffiti artist, and Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith’s futurist murals empower people of color as her subjects. Jeremy Patterson, known as DIY J, came onto the team in the final stages to animate each of the murals, taking them from analog works to digital treasures.
ABOUT VOGUE TDK
“Norman “Vogue” Chuck is an American graffiti artist, calligraphist, illustrator and graphic designer best known for his photorealistic “Spraycan Art” and Murals.
Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Norman’s unique style and work ethic was shaped by his studies at The Academy of Art (San Francisco), his family, friends (TDK!) and his passion for street art.
The creative forces behind Norman’s work are clean designs, sharp calligraphy, street life and hip hop. Having had gallery shows in San Francisco, Norman is now currently focusing and expanding his portfolio with more intense visuals based on the spray can on canvas medium along with some mural work.” – WesCover
ABOUT JET MARTINEZ
“Oakland-based artist Jet Martinez (born 1973) is known for creating vibrant works of art that put a contemporary spin on folk art motifs. Originally from the small beach town of Tuxpan, Veracruz, Mexico, Martinez takes inspiration from his native culture’s rich traditions of pottery, weaving and embroidery. His latest murals enliven the rigid architecture of cityscapes with ornate patterns and entrancing, abstract visuals.
An influential figure in Bay Area public art, Martinez served as the director of San Francisco’s acclaimed Clarion Alley Mural Project (CAMP) for 10 years from 2004 to 2014. His work with CAMP has been integral to the creation and preservation of public art in the Mission District, a historically Latino neighborhood known as a bastion for underground arts and culture.
Rhythmic, floral patterns unify Martinez’s various series of paintings from over the past 10 years. He predominantly works with acrylic paint and enamel on panel, rendering organic shapes that push the boundaries of form and color. Much like the craftspeople who create the ceramics and textiles that inspire him, Martinez prioritizes technical skill and embraces the imperfections of the handmade. Martinez has exhibited in reputable galleries and art institutions nationwide, including Joseph Gross Gallery, 111 Minna Gallery, White Walls Gallery, Museo de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana, Syracuse University and many others. He has painted murals in locales as diverse and Oaxaca and Zurich and created commissions for companies like Facebook, Hilton, Kiehl’s, John Fluevog and Redbull.” –1xRun
ABOUT JOSHUA MAYS
Joshua Mays is an American painter, illustrator, and muralist. His work, which typically features Black subjects in fantastical settings, is considered by many to be an example of Afrofuturism. He was born in Denver, and is now based in Oakland.
aMys’s murals include the “BEACON” series, which is based on a quote by Maya Angelou: “If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can totally transform one million realities.” It is is one of the city’s largest murals. Its subject is a girl with a staff, who is surrounded by birds. Mays is quoted as says the girl is a “gatekeeper to a fantastical realm.”
Joshua Mays and King Britt, working with Mural Arts Philadelphia, created an “augmented reality mural” at 5300 Lansdowne Ave in 2018. The piece, Dreams, Diaspora and Destiny, included a mural by Mays and Mural Arts Philadelphia, music by Britt, and a mobile app for viewers. Other locations where he has painted murals include Johannesburg, Mexico City and Jakarta.
In 2018, San Francisco Magazine named him as one of “100 artists putting the East Bay on the map.”
In February 2019, the Obama Foundation hosted an event in Oakland for its My Brother’s Keeper initiative, which former president Barack Obama attended.Mays was commissioned by the Obama Foundation to create an installation for the venue, and he produced murals of smiling black boys. He also spoke to youth at the event about life as an artist. Read his interview with the Obama Foundation here.
In November 2020 it was announced that Kaiser Permanente and ABG Art Group were partnering to commission a mural about social justice for Liberation Park in Oakland by Mays and Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith.
ABOUT BUD SNOW
Bud Snow is a Canadian bookmaker, muralist, installation artist, and photographer headquartered in Oakland, California. Bud is a prolific artist with a diverse portfolio of commissioned artworks covered in numerous publications and featured in public and private venues across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Through the use of intuitive painting, photography, and installation, Bud’s current work mulls over, pushes on, explores the term Neo-Primalism, a school of thought the artist associates with automatism in community space. Bud Snow was listed by Playboy as 11 Women in CryptoArt to watch.
ABOUT RACHEL WOLFE-GOLDSMITH
Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith sees murals as a way in which to revitalize dull spaces, celebrate culture, and create opportunities for developing artists that assist her. Her work is often figurative, inspired by myth, social movements, and cultural-futurism. Her work is signified by a contemporary color palette and abstract shapes that conduct movement and rhythm.
As Wolfe Pack she has received Historical Monument status for her Women of the Black Panther Party Mural created in 2021. She created the album artwork for Grammy winning blues musician Fantastic Negrito‘s album “Have You Lost Your Mind Yet”, in 2015 she won second place on RuPaul‘s Skin Wars Body Painting Challenge, and in 2012 she was hosted as a performance painter working alongside Alex Grey at Envision Festival. For more, visit rachelwolfegoldsmith.com.
ABOUT RUFF DRAFT
Brandon Ruffin, aka Ruff Draft, is an Oakland based photographer and visuals artist. He was born in San Francisco in the 80’s and grew up in Richmond, and has always had a love for art.
Brandon Ruffin wants his photographs to capture people in their most real form.
“I hope that the photos convey the beauty in all of us,” he recently told the SFGATE in an interview.
Over the past several months on his Instagram page @ruffdraft, Ruffin has featured a series of compelling and personal portraits. Many of them focus on the African-American community in Oakland.
“During my journey with photography I thought about the power in controlling narratives and how communities of color have traditionally had so little control of their own narratives and stories about their own communities,” he said. “I began to focus on portraits inside those communities to show the diversity inside those communities as well as providing an authentic narrative.”
Inspired by the work of photographers Gordon Parks, Eli Reed, Saul Leiter, and Diane Arbus among others, Ruffin intends for each of his portraits to open up a conversation between the subject and the viewer. – SF GATE: Oakland photographer captures the faces of ‘The Town’
ALL ANIMATION BY DIY J
Jeremy Patterson, aka DIY J, is a 3D artist based out of Oakland, California who is behind all of the animation for all the Mural to the Metaverse artworks. A Sotheby’s Artist, Patterson’s collaboration with Hueman ‘Physical/Digital: A Modern Diptych’ “My Secrets Got a Baby” recently sold for 56,700 GBP, over $78,000 USD.
DIY isn’t a hobby, it’s a lifestyle. You choose your passion. Art is what we make it.
– Jeremey Patterson
He is also the Creative Director, Animator and Designer for “Snoops” – A modern day comic character focus on bridging the world between art, popular culture and all things collections.
ABOUT ENDEAVORS
ENDEAVORS is a grassroots initiative that facilitates space to nourish the creative practices of the BIPOC Oakland community. From the Black Lives Matter community mural on 15th St, to hosting black and brown small business incubators, to the latest activation of “The Lot” at Tribune Tower, ENDEAVORS is radically reimagining new and responsible options for community engagement by forming safe spaces that bring immediate mental and financial support to locals of all walks of life. For more information, please visit ENDEAVORS website.
THE DROP: Murals To The Metaverse
In an unusual move, proceeds from each NFT will be split evenly amongst the participating artists, regardless of whose work is featured or the prominence of that artist. Curated and produced by Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith and Endeavors, the six NFT’s will be sold as a one of one item, which can be split up and sold on a secondary market by the collector. Until this point, muralists have photographed and animated photos of their murals to be sold as NFT’s. Murals to the Metaverse elevates the concept of what an NFT is, using 3-D scans of the entire wall and teleporting it into an imaginary digital world where they float in anti-gravity.
Murals To The Metaverse
Editions: One
Pricing: Accepting Offers only
*A timed auction will ensue once reserve price is met
The owner of this artwork will receive the six individual 1/1 creations that comprise this artwork (listed below) and a physical collector’s box, handcrafted by Blackstone Builds, containing a Infinite Object of the NFT and a signed artifact from each artist.
A Collectors Dream: Owner receives SIX unique 1/1 NFTs
It Was All A Dream – Vogue TDK
Editions: One
Pricing: This artwork is reserved for the owner of the 1/1 Murals to The Metaverse
Crema – Jet Martinez
Editions: One
Pricing: This artwork is reserved for the owner of the 1/1 Murals to The Metaverse
Meditations on Gravity and Mortality -Joshua Mays
Editions: One
Pricing: This artwork is reserved for the owner of the 1/1 Murals to The Metaverse
Portal With the Pussy Pearl Boat – Bud Snow
Editions: One
Pricing: This artwork is reserved for the owner of the 1/1 Murals to The Metaverse
Meta-Turf by Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith
Editions: One
Pricing: This artwork is reserved for the owner of the 1/1 Murals to The Metaverse
Culture War- Ruff Draft
Editions: One
Pricing: This artwork is reserved for the owner of the 1/1 Murals to The Metaverse
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