Meet the Art Blocks Curation Board
Art Blocks Curation Board members are responsible for reviewing, critiquing, and selecting Art Blocks projects to be included in Art Blocks’ Curated Collection. The Curated Collection is a group of projects that push the boundaries of generative art in their aesthetic beauty, conceptualization, technical quality, and innovation.
The work of Art Blocks Curation Board is guided by the following values:
● To serve artists by providing clear and constructive feedback in an effort to elevate an artist’s work.
● To serve collectors by promoting learning, inquiry, and dialogue around on-chain generative art.
● To serve Art Blocks by selecting and championing the future of generative art.
Art Blocks has invited individuals to our Curation Board based on their expertise, passion for the evolution and growth of on-chain generative art, and their industry leadership.
We are proud to introduce the Art Blocks Curation Board:
Anika Meier
Writer, Curator
“Art Blocks is the generative art platform where art history is written today.”
Anika Meier is a writer and curator specializing in digital art. She writes a column for the German art magazine Kunstforum. Among others, she built up KÖNIG DIGITAL for KÖNIG GALERIE, worked with CIRCA on Marina Abramović‘s first NFT Drop, and with Herbert W. Franke on MATH ART (Quantum). She curated among others Tribute to Herbert W. Franke, The Artist Is Online at KÖNIG GALERIE/KÖNIG in Decentraland (with Johann König), Exercise in Hopeless Nostalgia. The World Wide Webb by Thomas Webb at KÖNIG DIGITAL, Surprisingly This Rather Works by Manuel Rossner at KÖNIG DIGITAL, Link in Bio: Art After Social Media at Museum of Fine Arts in Leipzig.
https://twitter.com/thisaintanika
https://www.instagram.com/anika/
Anne Spalter
Artist, Author, Curator, Collector
“Art Blocks continues to expand the exciting history of generative art and bring it to an ever wider audience”
Digital mixed-media artist Anne Spalter founded the first digital fine arts courses at Brown University and RISD in the 1990s. She is noted for her large-scale installations and, more recently, AI and NFT art. Spalter’s work is in the permanent collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Albright-Knox Art, the RISD Museum, and The Museums of Crypto Art. Her work has been auctioned by Sotheby’s and Phillips, and featured in the New York Times. She recently completed a successful 501-piece drop entitled AI Spaceships. With Michael Spalter she founded and stewards the Spalter Digital collection of early computer art.
https://twitter.com/annespalter
https://www.instagram.com/annespalter/
Casey REAS
Artist
“I love spending time with amazing generative art”
Casey REAS’ software, prints, and installations have been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions. He is a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. With Ben Fry, REAS initiated Processing in 2001; Processing is an open-source programming language and environment for the visual arts. In 2020, he co-founded Feral File, a platform that works with curators, artists, and institutions to explore new ways of exhibiting and collecting digital art.
https://twitter.com/REAS
https://www.instagram.com/reas/
https://reas.com/
Cooper Jamieson
Artist, Scientist
“I believe that Art Blocks holds the potential to change digital art for the better.”
Cooper Jamieson is a scientist and works at Caltech to engineer enzymes to catalyze unprecedented reactions. Previously, he worked in art conservation and as an assistant to artists Robert Irwin, Zoe Leonard, and Jeff Elrod.
Daniel Calderon-Arenas (DCA)
Artist, Educator
“Being on the Art Blocks Curation Board is an opportunity to be at the forefront of technology and the arts. NFTs unprecedented impact on the art ecosystem has enabled an otherwise niche field of generative code-based artists to find appreciation and collectorship on a global level. Analyzing projects for Art Blocks means contributing my knowledge of art and art-history to this growing field.”
Daniel Calderon-Arenas is an artist and educator from Houston, Texas. Daniel teaches courses on coding and digital processes at the K. G. McGovern College of the Arts and also has his own studio art practice. Daniel currently writes generative art algorithms and has been exploring code-base creativity since 2016.
https://www.instagram.com/dacaldera
https://twitter.com/DaCaldera
Derek Edward Schloss
Managing Partner at Collab+Currency
“I am excited to be on the Art Blocks Curation Board to help surface the generative art works being created around the world.”
Derek Edward Schloss is Managing Partner at Collab+Currency, a crypto-focused venture fund. Derek is a collector with an interest in consumer habits. In 2017 Derek began exploring the intersection of regulated access and the blockchain, which led him to his current position at Collab + Currency. Derek is also a member of FlamingoDAO.
Dmitri Cherniak
Artist
“I want to advocate for art work that I believe will unlock a new found appreciation of automation as a creative process.”
Dmitri Cherniak is a Canadian artist and coder based in New York City. His algorithmic art has been exhibited in museums, galleries and exhibitions around the world. Above all else, Dmitri considers automation as his primary artistic medium. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Physiology and Computer Science from McGill University, and started using social media to share his ongoing projects in 2019.
https://twitter.com/dmitricherniak
Hesse McGraw
Executive Director, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston
“Art Blocks is an internationally leading platform for artists creating generative works. I am thrilled to support Art Blocks and their curated collection artists’ innovations in this emerging field.”
Hesse McGraw is Executive Director of Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, one of the oldest non-collecting contemporary art Museums in the United States. He is a passionate advocate for the essential role of artists in advancing society. He began his career in Kansas City and most recently served as Partner of the cross-disciplinary architecture practice El Dorado; as Vice President for Exhibitions and Public Programs at San Francisco Art Institute; and as Chief Curator of Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts in Omaha, Nebraska.
https://www.instagram.com/hessemcgraw/
JDH
Collector
“I am excited to play a role in the success of the most impactful startup in the NFT space. The curation board can bring awareness to talented artists, help collectors make the most of the platform, and help Art Blocks succeed.”
JDH is a collector, with no formal art or design training. While always interested in art and creative works, JDH began purchasing fine art a decade ago. Like most who enter this rabbithole, it goes very deep. Before NFTs, he mostly collected works by local artists — being in California, that still offers quite a selection of talented creators. JDH has been actively investing in technology startups for two decades, and has always been drawn to companies that enable creatives — two prominent examples are seed investments in Minted and Canva.
Jessica Phifer
Art Advisor
“Art Blocks is clearly the critical front lines of this genre. So there is no more apt and exciting a place for my education to go next, than here. I’m over the moon about it, and honored to be on board.”
Jessica Phifer has a degree in art history and is a former Associate Vice President at Christie’s, a daughter of an artist, and active member of the fine arts community in Texas. Jessica has spent her career evaluating thousands of art, and artful, objects. As a result, she is well versed in the arc that got us to this particular art historical moment.
https://www.instagram.com/carlilejp/
Judy Nyquist
Arts Activist, Collector, Philanthropist
“As a longstanding champion of artists, I am hugely curious about this relatively new and developing medium, particularly for creatives who have not previously participated in more traditional art channels. I firmly believe that generative art is poised to add a much needed dimension to the art ecosystem and will open the visual realm to an enthusiastic new audience. I admire Art Block’s values and the unique commitment to give back to the community. I am excited and flattered to be part of this journey.”
Judy Nyquist is an art historian, curator, and art activist. Judy’s philanthropic activities focus on arts education and public art in Houston. She has an express interest in making art accessible to all. Judy has served on the Boards and committees of The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, The Menil Collection, Museum of Fine Arts, Glassell School of Art, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Glasstire, Hope Stone, Rice University’s Public Art Program, Asia Society, Arts Connect, Blaffer Art Museum, Artadia, Every Shelter, and many more. In these service roles, she seeks to bolster education, exposure, and availability to wide audiences.
KarateKid
Collector
“I am excited to contribute to the emergence of generative art. The Curated collection should elevate the artists that we will look back upon decades hence, as the creative forces who shaped our cultural zeitgeist. I hope to be an agent for intentional diversity. We have to transform the very edifice of art so that the voices and works of underrepresented artists can be included. And no one continent has a monopoly on talent. There are so many artists in so many countries around the world who need to be discovered but have never had the opportunity. What could be more exciting than to build and push together beyond today’s boundaries into new realms of art + culture + tech.”
KarateKid aspires to be a thoughtful and voraciously curious collector. Their approach to art has best been captured by Artnome in Right Click Save. Design and technology are where KarateKid comes from. They have had the privilege of being on the core teams of the most iconic consumer products of our generation, technologies that they hope have made your lives better. Art Blocks has transformed the arc of KarateKid’s life. Whether it be IRL projects like bringing generative art education to underrepresented youths, their commitment to the space grows daily including being an investor member of Bright Moments, UnicornDAO, Bright Opportunities DAO, and advisor to House of First.
https://twitter.com/karatekid_xyz
Kate Vass
Curator
“I value how much Art Blocks does for the generative art community.”
Kate Vass is a founder and creative director of Kate Vass Galerie, headquartered in Zurich, focusing on generative art since 2017. Kate Vass Galerie is the first art gallery globally hosted the first physical blockchain art show introducing NFTs in 2018 and various early historical exhibitions around A.I., generative art & NFTs. Ms. Vass has worked with top tier international banks for more than 15 years, followed by the opening of her advisory firm F.A.R.E. Ms. Vass regularly speaks at the panels & conferences, & educational events. All her businesses support racial equality & sustainability. She launched #wsw supporting women in art & tech in 2020.
Kelani Nichole
Technologist, Collector
“Art Blocks represents the emergence of a contemporary generative art movement. The team has been leading the way with thoughtful models in the space of Web3, from charitable giving to exhibition design and offline gatherings. I appreciate the platform’s efforts to center the human experience in an algorithmic world, and I’m excited to contribute as a member of the curation board.”
Kelani Nichole is a technologist and founder of TRANSFER, an experimental media art gallery exhibiting decentralized networks and virtual worlds in contemporary art since 2013. Her inventions range from software-enabled immersive exhibition formats to new forms of cultural infrastructure. Currently she is building a new cultural organization as Head of Experience at e.a.t.}works, advising artists and institutions on Web3 strategies, and speaking about her work with decentralized creative economies.
https://twitter.com/KelaniNichole
https://www.instagram.com/kelaninichole/
Lindsay Aveilhé
Curator
“Art Blocks is doing wonderful and innovative work to bridge our understanding of generative art, technology, and NFTs. I’m excited to be a part of the adventure!”
Lindsay Aveilhé is an independent curator and Editor of the Sol LeWitt Wall Drawings Catalogue Raisonné. In recent years, she has been particularly focused on new ways to engage emerging technologies to tell stories about art. She co-created the Sol LeWitt mobile app made in collaboration with the Estate and Microsoft that launched in September 2020. Recent curatorial projects include Sol LeWitt at the Reykjavík Art Museum (2020) and Sol LeWitt: Lines, Forms, Volumes at Galleria Alfonso Artiaco, Naples (2019). She is the co-founder of an international artist-driven organization and is curating a biennial project that will take place in 2023.
https://www.instagram.com/lmaveilhe/
https://www.lindsayaveilhe.com/
Manuel Navarro
Interior Designer, Collector
“Happy to be a part of this community of like minded people and I am also excited to see how these artists are pushing boundaries and definitions of the traditional art world.”
Manuel Navarro is an Interior Designer based out of Texas — Dividing his time between Austin and Marfa. With over 16 years of experience in Interiors, Manuel serves as the Design Director and Principal for an award-winning global design firm. Constantly finding inspiration from his love of art, fashion, and architecture — Manuel drives curiosity, experimentation, and out-of-the-box problem solving in all areas of his career. Among his many achievements, Manuel has also designed workspaces for multiple Fortune 500 clients; these include household names such as Dropbox, PayPal, and Whole Foods among others.
Michael Connor
Curator, Writer
“I want to find and support artists who take the constraints of Art Blocks and make work that’s eye-opening, philosophically rich, unapologetically queer, punk, unhinged, deeply personal, dirtstyle and glitched, or otherwise just generally makes my day.”
Michael Connor is Artistic Director of Rhizome, where he oversaw the Net Art Anthology initiative, an effort to retell the history of net art through 100 works, presented as an online exhibition, gallery exhibition, and book. His first online curatorial project took place in 2003 at FACT, Liverpool, where he organized an edition of the traveling exhibition “Kingdom of Piracy” with Shu Lea Cheang, Yukiko Shikata, and Armin Medosch. Connor is currently editing a book by Gene Youngblood about the work of Kit Galloway & Sherrie Rabinowitz.
https://twitter.com/michael_connor
Micol Ap
Founder of VerticalCrypto Art
“Extremely excited to be part of the curation board of such a ground breaking platform for code based art on the blockchain and honoured for the opportunity.”
Micol Ap is a curious & creative working at the intersection of Web3 and art, with over 8 years of experience in the tech and creative industry. She is the Founder & CEO of VerticalCrypto Art, a web3 platform for art and culture on the blockchain. Micol has curated shows for Tezos, Art Basel, VCA exhibitions during Frieze LA and NYC, and Sotheby’s to name a few. Micol is excited about the possibilities of what blockchain can bring to the Web3 art & culture ecosystem.
https://twitter.com/verticalcrypto
https://www.instagram.com/verticalcryptoart/
Peter Molick
Collector
“I am excited to continue to witness the evolution of work presented to Art Blocks and to be included in a diverse group of people reviewing projects with a critical eye with the goal of elevating those that are selected as the premier examples of innovative, thoughtful and engaging algorithmic artwork.”
Peter Molick is a photographer and art collector interested in sharing the work of thoughtful, creative and critical voices making work available in the emerging digital art space. After receiving a degree in architecture and practicing in the field for several years, Peter transitioned his career to photographing the built environment in 2014. During this time he has also worked extensively with museums, galleries and artists documenting their work and installations. He was first introduced to NFTs in 2017 and began making his own artwork available and seriously collecting in 2020.
https://twitter.com/pixelpete
https://www.instagram.com/petermolick/
Raster Eyes
Designer, Collector, Investor
Art Blocks is at the forefront of the generative art medium. As a crypto enthusiast with a background in design and web development and a deep history of generative art appreciation, I can’t imagine a more exciting place to be.
Raster Eyes has a background in design and web development. He is a moderator of the CryptoPunks discord, an advisor for various NFT projects, and a manager for VC funds. Raster Eyes has had an interest in generative art since he was a child. His grandfather was friends with pioneering generative artist, Harold Cohen. Raster Eyes was given a copy of AARON on CD-ROM as a kid and quickly became enamored by the generative process. He was also an early Bitcoin enthusiast and quickly found Ethereum and NFTs. In that discovery, Raster Eyes formed early excitement for the potential for NFTs and generative art, and has been following Art Blocks since the beginning.
https://twitter.com/_Raster_Eyes_
Sofia Garcia
Curator
“I think the beauty of the curation board comes from the many different minds brought together to decide what becomes a curated project. My personal ethos will always be to stand behind strong generative artists that I believe in with respect to the maturity of their body of work, growth potential, and both current and future collectors.”
Over the last six years, Sofia Garcia has become a noteworthy leader in the Generative Art space as a curator, advisor and community builder. Sofia has been honored with Apollo Magazine’s “40 Under 40 in Art + Tech | Business” as the founder of ARTXCODE, a generative art house. She currently sits on the curation board for Art Blocks and is also an advisor for the company. She previously worked at Onyx by J.P. Morgan as a blockchain technical design strategist and as Director of Education of Code/Art, a non-profit focused on teaching young girls how to make art with code.
https://twitter.com/sofiagarcia_io
Taylor Kubala
Curator, Adjunct Professor of Art History for the University of Houston System
“I am excited to be on the curation board because Art Blocks provides a democratized space for the generative arts community where individuals are able to create and explore art historical contributions significant to our current social, economic, and cultural state.”
Taylor Kubala holds an MA in Art History with a specialization in contemporary exhibition practice and dedicated study in design art history. She has worked in a curatorial and research capacity at several art institutions and galleries, including the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Blaffer Art Museum, and the International Center for Arts of the Americas. In addition to curatorial work, Taylor has contributed to various art publications and historical exhibition texts, including the recently published Radical: Italian Design 1965–1985. Currently, Taylor teaches Art History with a focus on diversifying the field of art history and democratizing the viewership of art.
Biographical information for Kathleen Schowalter and Lela Hersh is coming soon. These board members will be added to this list once materials are finalized.
