Manager Andrew Gertler unveiled on Thursday (April 15) the newest division of his AG Artists: Permanent Arts, an NFT artist management and creative venture. In addition to representing visual artists, including 18-year-old painter and NFT act Fewocious, Permanent Arts will also support and invest in NFT-related projects and companies, IP and digital art, and collectibles.
Permanent Arts is the latest addition to the quickly expanding AG Artists, which includes an investment arm, AG Ventures, and a film & TV production company, Permanent Content, along with a joint venture with Gertler’s top client, Shawn Mendes, and Anonymous Content.
“I’ve been a fan of digital art and collectibles for a long time, and have also made early investments in the avatar space with Genies and in the collectibles space with our early adoption with Shawn’s fan club app which launched four years ago with AR digital collectibles,” says Gertler. “What is happening now in the art community with the explosion of NFTs is truly an incredible thing for these artists that I’m so excited to be able to support.”
He adds, “Artists that were once limited to one-off sales and limited marketplaces are now able to take their art directly to fans and also collect on the recurring resale revenue from their art.”
Fewocious’ two most recent NFT releases, on digital marketplace Nifty Gateway, earned over $3 million USD in under 10 minutes. Meanwhile, Mendes — in partnership with Genies and The Shawn Mendes Foundation — launched a commemorative charitable Wonder NFT drop that collected over $1 million as part of the Wonder Grants campaign that supports young digital artists.
In addition to supporting artists in the NFT space, the new venture is also prioritizing innovation. Permanent Arts has launched a fund (through Gertler’s AG Ventures) to invest in blockchain technologies and marketplaces. Recent involvements include Dapper Labs, the company behind the NBA’s Top Shot, and STURDY.exchange, a creative direction and design company behind visuals for Drake and Travis Scott (AG Ventures partnered with and helped fund STURDY.exchange earlier this year, and Gertler is an advisor at the company).
“What we’re seeking to do with our digital artist representation business is the same theory we approach our artist management business with: to protect artists and help them manage their rights and navigate their careers,” says Gertler. “With the new frontier of digital art will come new challenges for the artists as well, in terms of revenue collection and IP protection, as well as in the day-to-day management of what is fast becoming a robust business with multiple revenue streams and marketplaces. We as a company feel we’re well positioned to help artists navigate this new world.”
