As the noise of the memecoin season dies down, the NFT space is once again turning its gaze to what is the heart and soul of the community: art. For those looking to dive back into the cultural side of Web3 (or just interested in checking out one of the most community-based NFT projects out there), World of Women’s Spring Artfest is a must-see.
World of Women is a household name in the NFT world. Started by artist Yam Karkai in an effort to represent and onboard women for Web3, the brand’s two main collections – World of Women and World of Women Galaxy – have raised a total of more than 113,452 ETH ($200 million). . Among the various utilities and IRL events WoW offers collection holders are initiatives to support and showcase diverse and underrepresented artists in the space. Artfest, WoW’s quarterly celebration of creativity, is one of them.
WoW’s Spring Artfest features limited edition work from 16 artists in the space, hand-picked by Yam Karkai. WoW holders can check their eligibility (which is linked to the skin color of their WoW NFTs) to capture these pieces. They include artwork by Sara Baumann, Alinadore, Orabel, Essa, Superama, Jacklyn, Varvara Alay, Kelly Hsiao, Rewind Collective, Sera Stargirl, Chris Alliel, Rhi Madeline, YuYu, Glam Beckett, Saeko Ehara and Smeccea.
Over the course of May, Artfest unveiled two artworks each day that interpret the different themes in WoW lore in editions ranging from 25 to 600. The works are aligned with themes revolving around different “planets” in the WoW ecosystem, including Mother Earth , Cyber Jungle, Flaming Ember and more.
MakersPlace Artfest Contest
Spring’s Arfest also featured one community art contest in collaboration with the NFT platform and marketplace MakersPlace, whose team participated in the final curated selection process. On May 16, WoW announced the winners of the competition, who received 2,000 and 1,000 USDC. MakersPlace also offers winners a free mint on the platform and onboarding support. In addition, two of the top five artists in the contest will be selected for a chance to win a spot in the summer edition of Artfest and on the MakersPlace homepage in June.
World of Women’s Spring Artfest runs through May 25. Those who knock a full set of NFTs from the collection will receive a unique work dropped from the sky upon completion, an animation titled Celestial navigator by artist David Ariew. Check out our podcast interview with WoW’s COO, Shannon Snow, for the latest alpha on what World of Women is up to.