Welcome to The Insider by Exchange Art. We’re excited to kick off the year with this new initiative to highlight emerging and established artists, break down some newsworthy events, and explore some of the gems within the Solana community!
2023 has already started with a bang!
The overall sentiment has been incredibly positive, especially amongst the creator community, which continues to reach new heights as we see volume steadily increase.
The growth and excitement are bound to continue as we get back deep into build mode on some fascinating new features that we think will continue to change the game.
Cheers to a great 2023 from the Exchange Art Team!
1. Validator
Late last year, the Exchange Art Validator went live. Epoch after epoch, we see more stake added to the validator, but the fun is just beginning! We will have the first benefit for those who have delegated stake to our validator soon.
Those with 30 SOL or more staked will be subject to winning a rare, limited edition ArtDrop from none other than John Lê!
The validator’s commissions will be reinvested into the community through grants, educational programming, and IRL events.
Head over and stake with the Exchange Art Validator today!
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2. Things have been $BONK-ers
It has been impossible to ignore the $BONK effect.
No matter where you turn, you see the newly born Solana-based cultural coin lighting up the community with a much-needed spark of fun (and liquidity).
Due to a miscalculation of data by the Bonk team, the initial $BONK airdrop intended for creators was misallocated into locked accounts.
We couldn’t have that! Working swiftly, our dev team was able to fulfill the initial intentions of the Bonk team. 783B $BONK was equally distributed to creators who minted on Exchange Art between June 25 - Dec 25, which is around 325.8M per creator (around $600 at the time of the airdrop).
When creators win, we all win!
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3. SCUM has unleashed the Slimes
Few artists are more well-loved personalities in the Solana community than SCUM.
After deciding to focus on his craft, the talented creator returned to the scene with the Slimes. Armed with a myriad of vibrantly colored design elements and promotional material, SCUM has taken the space by storm with his stunning
version of Chicanafuturism, combining aspects of profound meaning from his Hispanic heritage with concepts of futurism.
The first wave of the Slimes release consisted of 6 auctions, grossing an astonishing 4255.67 (~$69,440 at the time of the sale), no small feat in any market conditions.
SCUM has also decided to continue to explore Chicanafuturism concepts in an
accompanying series called Maquina Muertes.
Keep an eye out for this talented creator!
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4. Photography is booming!
Over the last few months, there has been a push to educate collectors and the broader Exchange Art community about the value of photography.
The Exchange Art Photo Collective, SolCity Radio, and many
independent photographers have promoted photography through their artwork, exhibitions, and spaces.
We have seen consistent price growth from many photographers, with Nevin Johnson breaking 100 SOL and Johnny Jordan pushing the space forward with a physical photobook, prompting a new appreciation for the art of photography!
Will 2023 be the year of photography?
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5. Office Hours are open
We are constantly looking for ways to provide value back to the creators. Seeing artists succeed and hopefully playing a small part in that is what drives us. Now introducing our new free program, Office Hours! Connect in a one-on-one, custom conversation with our Senior Curator, Haley Karren. Booking a consultation with Haley is as easy as joining the Exchange Art Discord, where you will find the #office-hours channel. Pick a date and time and fill out the brief questionnaire on the Calendly link.
Come prepared with the elements you’re looking to focus on and enjoy the 30 minute conversation!
We encourage all creators, collectors, and those interested in art to join the Discord, tune in to our weekly Twitter Spaces, and become immersed in the community! 2023 will assuredly be more fun if we tackle it together. We aim to continue to double down on giving back, providing value, and producing IRL experiences.
We can’t do it without you, the amazing Exchange Art Community!
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6. Weekly Twitter Spaces
Monday 2pm CST - The Art Zone
Tuesday 3pm CST - Emerging Artist Spotlight w/ PenguLove
Wednesday 2pm CST - Artist Corner w/ Solana Legend
Thursday 3pm CST - Art Weekly w/ Solcity Radio
