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Lynn NFT Museum

Arts and Media December 2021 PREMIUM
Lynn University’s College of Communication and Design Launches “Lynn NFT Museum”

Written by Dr. Stefanie Powers

Lynn University’s Eugene M. and Christine E. Lynn College of Communication and Design announced plans to launch Lynn NFT Museum earlier this fall.

Under the direction of the College of Communication and Design Dean Cesar Santalo, the museum will showcase creative digital artwork from students, faculty, and staff.

“We are at the forefront of digital technology and the ongoing trends in the art world—that is why we believe creating the NFT Museum will allow us to develop new and dynamic partnerships with artists, museums, galleries, collectors, and tech companies in South Florida,” said Santalo. “Lynn will be one of the first universities in the country to create an NFT collection.”

NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, refer to tokenizing digital art through crypto platforms—a process that allows artists to authenticate their original digital works. Lynn’s NFT collection will enable the university to build a robust portfolio of digital assets.

“I am extremely proud to be part of the Lynn community,” said Michael Arsenault, Associate Dean in the College of Communication and Design. “This is an immense opportunity for our digital artists to showcase their artwork as an NFT in the digital museum.”

As Dean Santalo prepares to launch the NFT Museum, he is looking to recruit volunteers to curate art, build the collection, and bring a deep understanding of the fine arts to Lynn’s program. Eventually, the museum will include digital and augmented reality galleries displayed on campus for guests and the campus community to view.

“Lynn is uniquely positioned to be a pioneer in digital arts due to its culture of innovation,” said Santalo. “Creating this NFT Museum will reaffirm Lynn as one of the region’s most innovative colleges and help maintain a modern academic environment.”

Santalo, an esteemed visual communications professional, artist, animator, and educator, joined the university last year, bringing extensive experience directing, creating. and implementing a broad range of revenue-generating design and animation projects. Over the past 20 years, he served as the Art Director for Entertainment and Programming for Univision Network, overseeing Despierta America, Gordo y La Flaca, Sabado Gigante, Nuestra Belleza Latina, and WStudios projects. He was also Art Director for Marketing and Promotions, where he led the corporate-wide creative vision and delivery of creative and promotional assets. He most recently worked at Telemundo/NBC Universal on Quibi, a special project created by DreamWorks founder Jeffrey Katzenberg.

Since his arrival, the son of Cuban refugees has spent significant academic energy developing and promoting signature programs at Lynn.

“It is a passion of mine to enrich the campus community and showcase student achievement,” he said. “Significant time has been spent prioritizing and reviewing pedagogical approaches to increase student learning and focus on trends in the field. And what better approach than focusing on NFTs.”

Santalo guided modifications to the communications and design curriculum to include social media and innovative art and design concepts.  He also rebranded internal student-faced operations, and spearheaded two special lectures on NFTs.

The first event, “NFT Talk,” was led by Professor Alex Duque, who provided background on cryptocurrencies and how the technology generates distinctive NFTs.

“I am honored and humbled to be part of the next level of technology,” said Duque. “As an educator with a background in Computer Animation, I believe it is imperative to teach our students about these technologies and always stay current on digital skills.”

Most recently, Duque was among esteemed panelists in a cross-disciplinary event at the university to discuss how NFTs impact law, art, music, business, and security during the “NFTs, Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Technology” event. Other panel members included Dr. Paul Gormley, Dr. Harika Rao, and the CEO of Hayden AI, Chris Carson. The panel was moderated by Professor Gary Carlin and Dr. Stefanie Powers.

“The best way to learn about NFT’s is to discuss them. I am so excited about this museum and elated that we have someone as esteemed as Dean Santalo to lead the charge,” said Duque.

Duque will be among the first artists to donate an NFTs to the Lynn collection. In addition, up-and-coming NFT artist Yoni Sonis, award-winning illustrator Robert Jimenez, and Lynn faculty member and comic artist Mark Sparacio will contribute to the museum.

Lynn’s College of Communication and Design is scheduling various events to facilitate discussions on digital art and the NFT industry, including more sustainable techniques to create and transfer assets. Very soon, the college will be present at the NFT Basel (“NFT BZL”) event on Nov. 30 in Miami, where it will be featured. Digital property from Lynn will be showcased at the event.

About Lynn University:

Lynn University is an independent college based in Boca Raton, Florida, with approximately 3,000 students from nearly 100 countries. U.S. News & World Report has recognized Lynn for its innovation, international students and value. For more information, visit lynn.edu.

Author Bio:  Dr. Stefanie Powers has been at Lynn University for more than 15 years and serves as the Assistant Dean and Professor in the College of Communication and Design. Dr. Powers has had excellent opportunities to work in communication throughout her career and worked as a staff writer for critical publications in the South County area. Providing students with an individualized, quality education is one of her passions.

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