Narcity Media Launches First NFT Collection Created By Local Artists

Inspired by provinces’ reopening plans, Narcity Media is thrilled to launch its first NFT collection entitled Back to the City, created in collaboration with three local artists. These artists designed unique 30-second cityscape clips showcasing emblematic features of Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal.

“On this first project, we wanted to work with local artists across Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver to highlight the ‘reopening’ of our cities with our collection Back To The City,” Chuck Lapointe, Narcity Media CEO, said.

Twenty percent of the proceeds collected through the sale of the NFTs will be donated to foundations supporting the arts in each city.  

“I think the artists did a fantastic job showcasing the emotions we're all feeling right now as cities reopen," Lapointe added. “We’re thrilled to use this opportunity to give back to the communities that inspire us.”

Animation designers Camyl Buenaventura and Dan Gaud were among those selected to produce the original content that will be put up for auction through OpenSea.  

Camyl Buenaventura 

Buenaventura is a film director, filmmaker, and digital artist who’s been in the creative field for over five years. Her work is distinctly known for its dark and cinematic style that emphasizes detail and creative storytelling. She has created animations and videos for notable brands such as Audi, Volvo, Bumble, Huawei, Sephora, and the Toronto Raptors.

For her collaboration with Narcity, Buenaventura was inspired by Torontonians’ reality over the last year. “This animation loop represents the resilience of Toronto and the hope that we have during the struggles of COVID,” she said. “Despite the challenges the pandemic has caused the city, we always come out of it together as a nation.”

Dan Gaud

Dan Gaud is a digital artist by day, a film director by night and sometimes also takes on the role of a game designer. Gaud lives in North Vancouver where he’s worked on numerous film productions in the mid-2000s. He currently works mostly on commercial productions but has recently completed his science-fiction anthology called AUTOMATIC, coming out on CBC Gem this year. 

Gaud describes his Vancouver-inspired NFT entitled KERMODE as “a simple film meant to showcase our city coming back to life. All we have to do is follow the Spirit Bear.”

Clubhouse: 

Narcity will be hosting its first-ever live discussion on Clubhouse, leading up to the launch of the first NFT. The discussion will take place on June 16 at 7:00 PM with artist Camyl Buenaventura. She and host Brian Tong will discuss the inspiration behind her artwork and what led her to create this NFT. Narcity will conduct similar discussions on Clubhouse with Dan Gaud on June 30th at 7:00 PM, and with the Montreal-themed NFT artist on July 14th at 7:00 PM. For those interested in joining the discussion, they can follow Narcity Canada on Clubhouse here

Bidding on Camyl Buenaventura’s NFT: 

Interested buyers will be able to bid on her artwork between June 16 and June 23 on OpenSea. The highest bidder will gain the rights to the NFT, a Ledger Nano S and a lifetime subscription to Narcity. Twenty percent of the proceeds collected through this auction will also be donated to the Toronto Arts Foundation, to help connect every Toronto neighbourhood with the transformative social and economic benefits of the arts.

Bidding on Dan Gaud’s NFT: 

Interested buyers will be able to bid on his artwork between June 30 and July 7, on OpenSea. The highest bidder will gain the rights to this NFT, a Ledger Nano S, and a lifetime subscription to Narcity. Twenty percent of the proceeds collected through this second auction will be donated to the Vancouver Visual Arts Foundation, to help connect, inspire and educate local and international visual arts communities.

Bidding on the Montreal-inspired NFT

Although the identity of the third artist is still to be announced, those interested in bidding on the Montreal NFT will be able to do so between July 14 to July 21. The highest bidder will gain the rights to the NFT piece, a Ledger Nano S, and a lifetime subscription to Narcity. Twenty percent of the proceeds collected through this third auction will be donated to The International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA), which aims to increase knowledge and appreciation of art among the public by promoting the work of artists in cinema, video, and visual arts, and also encouraging the production and diffusion of art films.

To learn more about the artists, visit Camyl Buenaventura’s and Dan Gaud's Instagram accounts.

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