We’re seeking funding to help launch Gemma’s Artist Treasury, which will use a DAO governance model to award grants to a diverse group of pioneering artists and creative projects. The overall goal is to grow web3’s cultural impact while perpetuating creativity onchain.

WHAT IS GEMMA?

Gemma is an art ecosystem built by and for artists. We are creating a new, hybrid platform model that uses the most promising aspects of web3—financial transparency, community sovereignty, and collective governance—while remaining scalable and culturally centered. Our goal is to create a new blueprint and standard for onchain curation and equitable community engagement.

In its current iteration, Gemma is a curated platform designed to showcase artwork from pioneering artists. We provide a simple and powerful creator platform where artists can mint their work and find collectors. Additionally, every purchase on our platform automatically contributes 20% of Gemma’s proceeds to a treasury that is collectively managed by our artists.

OUR PROPOSAL: SUPPORT GEMMA’S ARTIST DAO & GRANTS PROGRAM

Since our platform launched on November 1, 2023, all activities have been continuously funding a treasury that will be controlled by the users who bring the most value to our community: the artists. Once our DAO is launched, artists on Gemma’s platform will have the exclusive opportunity to submit and vote on proposals to fund new creative projects.

Gitcoin funds will enable us to supplement the treasury beyond what our just-launched platform is earning through artwork mints.

We want Gemma to be the best platform for releasing digital artwork. We know we can only do this by building for and with artists, and by working transparently to develop a model that directly reinvests in the growing onchain artist community.

With the artist treasury, we hope to see:

— Forward-thinking ideas getting the support and funding they deserve — Established artists proposing grants for emerging artists — A thriving, self-perpetuating creative ecosystem — More creativity onchain

We’re committed to creating a system that recognizes and rewards artists as the value generators within the ecosystem, and empowers them to allocate the funds they help generate in ways that uplift the entire community.

WHAT WILL MAKE GEMMA’S ARTIST DAO SUCCESSFUL?

We care deeply about developing a governance process that is engaging, equitable, and accessible. In our prior work with DAOs, we have seen how challenging it can be to source a broad range of high-quality proposals from a diverse group of applicants, which is why we will resolutely focus on the following:

— Offering access to propose and vote on funding proposals based on an artists’ Community Engagement rather than their monetary contribution — Developing an Artist Outreach Program that actively cultivates a diverse range of new proposals from a global roster of visionary artists — Creating Open Calls for Proposals to define clear deadlines and inroads to the proposal-submission process — Offering community-developed Proposal Resources to make the proposal-writing process clear, accessible, and inviting — Hosting Proposal Salons where our community can collectively workshop in-development project ideas in a friendly environment before they are officially submitted — Using our editorial and social platforms to spotlight proposals and funded artist projects through thoughtful storytelling so that artists receive visibility for their efforts — Separating Gemma’s business operations from our DAO to enable the platform to operate effectively, while giving our community clear control over Gemma’s treasury

WHO IS GEMMA? MEET OUR TEAM.

Our team includes top talent from across the web3 space, including artists, curators, advisors, and creative entrepreneurs who have successfully built entire markets, communities, and industry-defining playbooks for major companies.

As a team, we have an unmatched record for ideating and developing projects that generate revenue and create significant cultural impact. We have a strong sense of chemistry, trust, and communication that stems from years of experience as co-workers at places like Kickstarter, Foundation, and Friends With Benefits. We also have in-depth knowledge of traditional artist programs from our experience working with institutions like the New Museum, Rhizome, and SFMOMA, and from launching our own artist projects, exhibitions, and residencies.

SAY HELLO :)

We’d love to connect with people who are passionate about community building, artist equity, and growing the cultural impact of the web3 space. If what we’re building resonates with you, reach out to explore a partnership, contribute to our editorial program, join the community as a collector, recommend an artist, or more: info@gemmaprojects.com.