In August 2022, I moved to Canada as an international student and found myself in the beautiful city of Kingston, Ontario. The city is known as a celebrated student town, home to major institutions like Queen’s University, where Elon Musk studied during his freshman year, and St. Lawrence College known for hands-on, career-focused learning and strong community ties.

Kingston is built on the idea of art. It is home to galleries, creative spaces, and exhibitions. Major institutions like the Tett Centre for Creativity and the Agnes Etherington Art Centre by Queen’s play an important role in facilitating curations around art and culture.

However, as a digital artist, it was difficult to find conversations around the growing influence of NFTs, blockchain, and cryptocurrencies. This pushed me to travel to cities like Toronto, where these conversations were happening more frequently at major conferences like the Blockchain Futurist held annually, or through regular meetups hosted by communities such as Web3 Toronto.

This came with added travel costs. As an international student working two jobs while keeping up with my studies, the constant travel became exhausting over time.

Finding myself working as a graphic designer for a student-run marketing agency, with access to a curated event space, I pitched the idea of Velocity Art Space to Steve, my mentor at work. The goal was to host an exhibition that facilitated conversations around emerging technologies such as AI, NFTs, AR/VR, and crypto.

But, the idea was still at a primitive stage. My mentors recognized its potential and asked me to propose a detailed plan.

Here’s how it came together.

1. Early brainstorm:

The idea began to take shape as a digital art exhibition showcasing the work of emerging artists using blockchain technology. The intent was to educate local artists, students, and tech enthusiasts about the real world impact of Web3.Target audience:

Local artists in Kingston, followed by students curious about emerging technologies.

Project development:

With a team of three, we divided the exhibition and its launch into three phases: pre-launch, launch, and post-launch.

2. Pre-launch:

I ran the OPEN CALL through our community page on X, Colours of India NFT. I initially expected around 50 entries, as screen space was limited. To my surprise, we received over 300 submissions.

Seeing this level of enthusiasm, I decided to exhibit the work of 100 artists using five digital screens, along with a few high-quality printed pieces.

This was followed by setting up the physical space, assembling digital screens, testing the artworks on display, and creating a dedicated VR area to offer visitors a real-world immersive experience.

A poster was developed to further promote the event, resulting in 170 sign-ups for a space originally designed for 50 to 70 people.

3. Launch:

The launch marked the exhibition itself, featuring the selected works along with proper artist credits, including names, mediums, and details of each artwork.

The exhibition presented the work of 100 artists from different countries. Specifically: Canada, India, Ukraine, Pakistan, Russia, the UK, the USA, Colombia, Congo, Nigeria, Mexico, Indonesia, Venezuela, Japan, Germany, South Korea, and the UAE.

It was both overwhelming and exciting. We witnessed a high turnout of local artists, students, and tech enthusiasts, far exceeding expectations. What began as an exhibition quickly became one of Kingston’s most unique art events.

4. Post-launch:

This phase involved hosting weekly conversations within the space, though at a smaller scale. The venue continued facilitating discussions around emerging technologies, even with certain constraints.

We extended the initiative into a weekly gathering, displaying artworks on screen while hosting ongoing conversations around crypto, blockchain, and NFTs. This continued for over a year, creating a space that was both educational and engaging.

This was my first experience curating an exhibition, giving me a deeper understanding of how to set up open calls, market exhibitions, and facilitate conversations that communities find empowering. I carried these learnings forward and, the following year on international NFT day, curated a virtual exhibition while coordinating remotely from Winnipeg, the city I moved soon after graduating college in 2024.

The enthusiasm around NFTs is far from fading and continues to grow as the technology evolves. Artists, institutions, and individuals are gradually coming to terms with how this technology has already changed lives.

As cliché as it may sound, NFTs are still early, and their biggest impact is yet to be experienced.