LOS ANGELES (July 27, 2021)--This week brings the LA Art Show, officially ushering in the city’s 2021 art season. As the most comprehensive international contemporary art show in America, the show is well-established and highly-anticipated. On the heels of a difficult year, the fair is returning to the Los Angeles Convention Center from July 29 to August 1st, celebrating their 26th year with a special Summer Edition. While the fair has become synonymous with certain traditional contemporary art programming from around the globe, they will be making some important editions to ensure they are providing patrons with the most comprehensive experience. This year, the LA Art Show takes a closer look at some of the latest technological trends in the art world, marking them as the first live show to join the NFT conversation. 

As a show with a strong traditional reputation, the integration of NFTs and other new technology is monumental, emphasizing the legitimacy and wonder of digital art. In order to supply the most comprehensive and accessible NFT introduction, the show has partnered with SuperRare as official marketplace partner, meaning patrons will be able to purchase the work immediately at the fair with the help of experts, removing anxiety surrounding the new kind of transaction. 

To present the most striking and comprehensive NFT debut, the LA Art Show welcomes Vellum LA, the first physical gallery for NFT-backed digital art in Los Angeles, ahead of their launch in September. Vellum LA was created with the goal of meaningfully situating the digital and crypto art communities within the context of art history, while also educating the public on the potential of NFTs to impact the future of art. Aiming to bridge the gap between the physical and the digital world, the crypto and the traditional art collectors, Vellum LA presents carefully curated shows designed to be relevant to patrons on either end of the digital-analog spectrum, and anywhere in between. 

This year’s LA Art Show is the ideal platform for Vellum LA programming, prioritizing NFTs, whether it be an introduction for many of the patrons of the fair or an exciting addition for those who are already fans of the genre. Crafting the optimal first impression, Vellum LA presents Sea Change, a physical NFT exhibition in partnership with SuperRare, the show’s official marketplace partner. Sea Change will feature the works of 12 new media artists, whose work embraces our inevitable technological immersion, exploring the new language, materiality, and logic of the metaverse. The exhibition will include works by Claudia Hart, Auriea Harvey, Krista Kim, Marjan Moghaddam, Itzel Yard (Ix Shells), Blake Kathryn, Nicole Ruggiero, Sam Clover (PLANTTDADDII), Sabrina Ratté and more. Curated by Nxt Museum curator Jesse Damiani and Vellum LA  curator Sinziana Velicescu, Sea Change is a model of collaboration in the art world. 

Although NFTs have been around for a while now, the technology patrons will see is brand new, featuring state-of-the-art StandardVision LumaCanvas displays developed specifically for Sea Change and designed to be the first ever collector/museum-grade digital art display canvases. 

This year’s LA Art Show, opening on Thursday, is the perfect chance to bridge the gap between the often intangible side of NFTs and the familiar gallery experience, ushering in an era of harmony between digital and analog art. Tickets are still available, so there’s still time to be a part of the landmark experience.