"Dead on arrival. Or not? The present state of crypto and the future prospects for NFTs"

Not only has the weather this summer been scorching, to a record extent; but also, the crypto and NFT markets have experienced a commensurate meltdown. The naysayers are wagging their collective fingers and gleefully retorting in response to the recent barrage of NFT hype in a chorus of “We told you so!” But, to paraphrase Mark Twain: the death of NFTs is greatly exaggerated. Why the nascent market for digital art will outlive the current decline and rebound in rude health, sooner than you think.  

Kenny Schachter has been curating contemporary art shows in museums and galleries while teaching art history and economics for more than thirty years between Switzerland and the United States. Schachter has a column on Artnet.com and contributes to various international publications, including the New York Magazine and The Times Magazine (UK).

After making digital art for decades, Schachter has spearheaded the traditional art world’s adaptation of Non Fungible Tokens in 2020-1 by lecturing at Harvard Law School, Art Institute of Chicago, Yale and the Hirschhorn Museum and writing a series of feature articles on the subject. In 2021, he curated wide-ranging NFTism exhibitions (a term he trademarked) at Nagel Draxler in Cologne, Institut in London. An interview with Arturo Galinsino, director of Florence’s Palazzo Strozzi Museum and Schachter was published in a book on the occasion of the exhibit Let’s Get Digital in 2022.

Schachter had a retrospective of his art at Joel Mesler’s Rental Gallery in New York in the summer of 2018, curated a show at Simon Lee Gallery in London (Fall 2018) and a solo show at Kantor Gallery in LA (Feb. 2019). He recently had a show with Eva Beresin at Galerie Charim in Vienna (May 2021) and participated in Art Basel 2021/22  on multiple occasions with Nagel Draxler Gallery. In addition, Schachter inaugurated the first one-person exhibit in Nagel Draxler’s Crypto Kiosk Gallery in Berlin between January - March 2022. He is the subject of a documentary under the production and direction of Chris Smith (Tiger King/Fyre Festival) and a Hulu/ABC NFT film. Schachter lives in New York.

Divorced photographer Mahmut finds his life of solitary routine is interrupted when Yusuf, a distant cousin from his remote village, shows up without warning to stay in Mahmut’s tiny Istanbul apartment until he can find work. The job doesn’t materialize, but instead of leveling with his host, Yusuf invents a series of scenarios in hopes of prolonging his stay; the result is a subtly comic psychological dance that can’t help but suggest an austere yet witty Turkish tribute to Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple.

Released 20 years ago but unavailable for theatrical exhibition for years, Distant—written, directed, photographed, produced and co-edited by Nuri Bilge Ceylan—was awarded the coveted Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. In Turkish with English subtitles. (110 minutes)

“Remarkable! A Chekhovian tale of major artistic power… Genuinely beautiful and haunting.” –Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune 

In the shadow of the pandemic, a small town rallies to protect a beloved local bookstore in its hour of need. A landmark in Lenox, Massachusetts since 1976, The Bookstore is a magical, beatnik gem thanks to its owner, Matt Tannenbaum, whose passion for stories runs deep. Charming and eccentric, Matt is surrounded by great literature, friendly neighbors and tree-lined streets, in a town where time stood still.

Presiding at The Bookstore for over forty years, Matt is a true bard of the Berkshires and his shop is the kind of place to get lost in—a tiny sliver of paradise, a Brigadoon where one discovers great words and ideas merely by browsing. This intimate portrait of one example of a tragically endangered species—the independent book shop and the family at its heart— provides a journey through good times, challenges, problem-solving and, best of all, the indispensable stories on the shelves. Hello, Bookstore is a valentine to human creativity, of both the literary and entrepreneurial kind. (86 minutes)

“Compelling and heartwarming. A drama worthy of Hollywood magic.” –Thomas Farragher, The Boston Globe

Eighteenth annual Founders Junior Council Fash Bash, presented by Neiman Marcus. Questions? Email fashbashtickets@dia.org

2022 Fash Bash Co-Chairs

• Dr. Charles Boyd and daughters Christian, Alexis, Cameryn, Maya and Gabrielle Boyd
• Alexandra Decker
• Annie, Arianna and Bruce Margulis
• Lifetime Honorary Chair Brenda Rosenberg
• Nicole Tamer George and Christopher John Thomas

Diamond Sponsor

Annie and Bruce Margulis

Gold Sponsors

• Carhartt
• Aaron and Carolynn Frankel
• Brenda and Howard Rosenberg

Silver Sponsors

• BOYD 
• The Cresswell Family Foundation 
• Feldman Automotive Group 
• Richard Sonenklar and Gregory Haynes 
• Hush
• Metropolis 
• MGM Grand
• Burton A. and Sandra D. Zipser Foundation 
• Toni A. Wisne Foundation 

Bronze Sponsors

• AaDya Security 
• Buddy's Pizza
• Clarity Counseling & Wellness, LLC
• Eugenie
• Jim and Patty George 
• Peter Ghafari 
• Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss, P.C. 
• James Group
• Danny and Morgan Kaufman 
• Kercheval Financial Group of Wells Fargo Advisors
• Our Next Energy
• Roz and Scott Jacobson
• Theresa & Anthony Selvaggio
• Varnum LLP
• Questionable Teez 

Salon Partner

Figo Salon

Donation

Park Rite