Artsy, Fairchain And Fifteen Percent Pledge Auction Raises $200,000 To Support Creatives

The Artsy Impact Auction: Black History Month Focus, Presented with Fairchain, hosted and curated by art institutions Fairchain and Artsy to empower Black fine artists, fashion designers, and creatives. The auction raised proceeds that benefited the Fifteen Percent Pledge. Building equitable futures for all artists, Fairchain and Artsy donated a portion of the approximately $200,000 auction earnings to the Fifteen Percent Pledge, furthering a powerful stance in favor of sustainable, thoughtful, and meaningful support of creative communities.

Aurora James, who founded the Fifteen Percent Pledge, declares that the organization recognizes the connection between art and fashion as part of its mission. “We have to strive towards a scenario where these two realities co-exist,” James states. “By creating equity, we are leveling the playing field for artists and designers, and giving them the opportunity to exist across any and all outlets.”

She continues. “When we give Black artists the spaces and the support to pursue their passions, we are giving them the opportunity to move the industry forward to be more representative and equitable. As with the retail industry, we are working towards breaking down the systemic barriers that have historically kept Black artists out of these opportunities.

Through Fairchain and their digital certificates, the auction allows artists to establish a resale commission rate for their artwork, maintaining an economic stake in every future sale of their work. Fairchain’s use of digital certificates of title and authenticity builds trust with new collectors and creates additional income streams for the artists, allowing them to donate higher-value works.

Fairchain, co-founder Charlie Jarvis, saw an alignment in the mission and values promoted by the Fifteen Percent Pledge, seeing the ideas of fashion designers and fine artists alike to gain equitable ground in those industries. “I found out about Fifteen Percent Pledge through having this strong representation of entrepreneurship – feeling like what they were doing actually represented this model that was really sustainable.“

“For us at Fairchain, we look at the career of artists and galleries, thinking about how we can make it so that there is this layer of protection baked into the way of selling every piece of artwork. And that might just be that they have this method of staying connected to their works and managing their catalog resume – demonstrating that these are the works they’ve produced,” Jarvis notes.

“Being a model in which you are asking a company to give a one-time grant to a non-profit – actually asking companies to commit to as a practice dedicating a percentage of their capital resources towards black businesses,” she states. “Why this collaboration even came to be – it’s because this is very much the mentality we are building at Fairchain.”

“You can make strides by doing one-time initiatives, but there’s so much power in actually making infrastructure change. Changes that actually last and are cold year over year. And both of our organizations have looked at these different fields and tried to find ways to make these changes like actually be a pattern,” Jarvis analyses.

The Fifteen Percent Pledge, which held a gala in February at the New York Public Library, is a call to action for major retailers and corporations to create sustainable ecosystems supporting Black-owned businesses in their success. The pledge works with companies to comprehensively re-evaluate their org structures, ways of working, funding, and resourcing in order to implement meaningful change and create equity for Black businesses within the fashion industry.

Aurora James founded the footwear and accessory line Brother Vellies well before the Fifteen Percent Pledge was founded at the height of the 2020 COVID pandemic. Being a prominent figure in fashion, James utilized her position to move needles in the fashion industry at a time when brands and companies made efforts to support Black entrepreneurship.

James has identified the circumstances of Black creators, “the art and fashion spaces are rooted in creativity and self-expression. They give a voice to artists and allow them to share their stories, values, and experiences in their own way. Collaborations like these are an opportunity for Black creatives to share their perspectives and ideas while simultaneously increasing their visibility within the industry.”

The Artsy-led auction was held from February 21 to 28 and featured exclusive works created by Black artists. Fairchain provided digital certificates of title and authenticity for each artwork in collaboration with the online art platform Artsy. The auction was exclusively hosted on Artsy, an online marketplace for buying, selling, and discovering art.

The artists showcasing work included Alteronce Gumby, Jewel Ham, Devin B. Johnson, Nate Lewis, Simphiwe Ndzube, Anya Paintsil, Ferrari Sheppard, and Qualeasha Wood. The artworks reflected the rich cultural heritage and history of Black people and their contributions to the art world, cataloging an upcoming class of artists.

“It was so impactful to see the diversity represented in the featured artwork – both in their styles and meaning,” James relishes. “It was a reminder of our mission – to work towards a world more inclusive and equitable, allowing for Black creatives to pursue their passions with industry support and strong financial backing. The auction was a reflection of how opportunities to uplift Black artists can build an industry that values the work they create and the stories they have to share.”

The opportunity for art lovers and collectors to acquire unique pieces created by these Black artists is one step forward in the mission to create a fairer ground. Fairchain’s digital certificates of title and authenticity provide a secure, transparent assurance of the value and ownership of the artworks.

“Collaborating was this realization that both of us [Fairchain and Fifteen Percent Pledge] are pushing for like infrastructure change in our respective industries,” Jarvis sums up her experience recognizing the relation between disciplines. “And I wouldn’t even call them different industries in that they are focused a lot on entrepreneurship, fashion brands, artists, and collectors. Artists are really entrepreneurs in themselves. I think that the partnership between Fifteen Percent Pledge and Fairchain is indicative of, I guess it’s indicative of the future of what it means to be like a, to be a participant in the creative ecosystems.”

Aurora James has started a movement seeding other industries into more supportive practices that sufficiently inhibits equity among artists and creatives. “I hope that in the future we can see more collaborations created with the goal of forming a sustainable and supportive ecosystem for Black artists,” says James.

She concludes, “we know the systemic disadvantages that Black people have been forced to face from day one. As a designer, I know firsthand the challenges of trying to break into this space and have your work recognized and celebrated. We must ensure that we are not only giving Black creatives the spaces to display their art, but creating long-term solutions for a sustainable, diverse, and inclusive industry.”