Between the summer of 2016 and the end of 2021, I painted portraits of the 25 players on the Cubs 2016 World Series championship team. I also painted portraits of the head coach, Joe Maddon, four other players on 2016 team who were not included on WS roster and four front-office people for a total of 34 portraits.
I am now selling this artwork as a series of limited-edition prints (6 prints of each painting) and NFTs (6 NFTs for each painting). In other words, this is a combination NFT/traditional art sale where a single purchase will get you a limited-edition print and an NFT. These can be purchased from the TalbertFineArt.com website or from OpenSea.io, the largest web 3.0 market for art and collectible NFTs (https://opensea.io/collection/2016cubsportraits). The price will be the same and the purchaser will receive the same products regardless of where purchased.
In addition, I am also selling the entire collection of the original paintings to a single buyer. This final master collection product also includes an NFT as well as the 34 physical, framed paintings. This can also be purchased either from TalbertFineArt.com or from the TalbertFineArt page on OpenSea.io.
So, is this a sale of physical art or a sale of an art NFT? Or both?
Both. Each purchase will come with a physical and a digital component:
(1) A signed, limited-edition giclee print of the original painting at the same height and width of the original; and
(2) A non-fungible token (NFT) of the artwork registered on the Ethereum blockchain which can be resold or traded for other NFTs.
Why are you combining digital and physical art in this way?
1. As a creator of physical art, I see traditional value in my artwork, derived from owning and enjoying a physical painting that can be framed, hung and enjoyed, passed on to a loved one or given away or sold to someone else.
2. Today there is growing interest in owning art NFT's. To appeal to the broadest spectrum of interest in my art, I am including ownership of an NFT for each individual sale.
What is an Art NFT?
As stated earlier, "NFT" stands for "non-fungible token." An art NFT uses block-chain technology to code authenticity, provenance and value into digital and traditional art. The content on this page needed to explain this special 2016 Cubs NFT Collection is already pretty long, and I don't have space to explain the history and functioning of NFTs in full, but you can read more about art NFTs in general HERE and HERE and HERE. Suffice it to say, you need to come to your own conclusion about whether the art NFT or the limited-edition print has value for you, and what that value might be over time.
Why would I (or anyone) want to collect one of these 2016 Cubs paintings or NFTs?
I think you are probably (1) a Cubs fan, like me, or (2) an art collector (or maybe just a "collectibles" collector), or (3) an NFT enthusiast and early adopter of new, exciting technologies, or (4) a speculator hoping to find a good value that might increase over time, or (5) someone who has followed my art trajectory for a while and wants an affordable way to collect a piece of art, or (6) someone related to me who is hoping that by buying one of my artworks, I will leave you lots of money when I pass on. (Actually, I am not counting on there being anyone in category #6:)
I have tried to make collecting this artwork appealing to collectors by:
- Limiting the number signed prints (and accompanying NFT's ) to just 6, making each one that much harder to collect and possibly to open the door to after-market sales and trades.
- Using block-chain technology to help ensure that the digital artwork is authentic.
- Listing the NFTs on OpenSea, the largest NFT marketplace followed by a community of people with interests in and appetites for collectible digital art.
- Setting bonus tiers to give away other free stuff to collectors who acquire multiples, including other free limited-edition prints (and NFTs). More on this later down the page. Keep reading. Keep scrolling. You can do it.
What, exactly, is being offered for sale and what, exactly, do I get?
1. The For-Sale Prints and NFTs. Each of the paintings of the 25 rostered Cubs players plus the painting of Joe Maddon (head coach) will be reproduced as eight limited-edition high-quality giclee prints, signed by me, the artist, for a total of 156 limited-edition prints (but only 6 complete sets of prints). Each print will also be minted as a an NFT on OpenSea.com for a total of 156 NFTs. Eight of the paintings and NFT's will be sold on my website and on OpenSea.com. (This covers 26 of the 34 prints/NFTs.)
2. The Not-For-Sale Prints and NFTs.The other eight paintings that make up the 2016 Cubs collection include four players on the 2016 team who did not make the WS roster but whose portraits I painted as part of the collection. They were really great players who made a big contribution to the 2016 season (Jason Hammel, Matt Szczur, Tommy LaStella and Rob Zastryzny). And, I also painted portraits of Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer, Tom Ricketts and Epstein dressed up as a gorilla. Limited-edition prints of these additional 8 artworks will be created and minted as NFTs in a series of 12 (96 prints and NFTs in total). These will not be offered for sale immediately. Rather, they will be given away for free as bonus gifts for buyers who collect the for-sale NFTs at different levels. Or, they could be sold later if there are any left over after the bonus tier give-aways are filled. (Again, the bonus tiers are explained in more detail further down)
3. The Complete Original Paintings Collection and NFT. Finally, a single NFT consisting of a large digital collage image of all 34 paintings, along with the 34 framed, original paintings themselves, will be minted as a single, final NFT and offered for sale.
When will these items be available for purchase?
The first set of 26 for-sale prints and NFTs will drop (ie., be available for purchase) on Monday, March 14, 2022. The next three sets of prints/NFTs will drop every two weeks after that (March 28, April 11, April 25). Sets 5 and 6 will be sold as a bundle of 34 prints/NFTs each, and they will drop on May 9 and May 23, respectively. The final NFT for the entire collection will be auctioned on June 9, 2022.
If I purchase an NFT of one of the WS players or Coach Maddon, what do I get?
You get the non-fungible token representing a digital JPEG of the original painting registered on the Etherum blockchain and resell-able on OpenSea, and you receive a limited-edition signed giclee print of the artwork (unframed, in the same dimensions as the original artwork, as specified in the table below.)
Also, I am going to donate one-half of all of the profits from each sale to Cubs charities, in the name of the purchaser. So, I will provide each buyer with a receipt showing how much of sale the proceeds were donated, in the event that you might want to claim a tax deduction.
How much will a print and NFT of one of the WS players or Coach Maddon cost?
The first set of limited-edition prints/NFTs will be listed for $200 each. They can be purchased from TalbertFineArt.com with a credit card or PayPal, or they can be purchased from OpenSea.io paying in crypto currency. The crypto token that is accepted on OpenSea for this collection is USDC, a level-2 token that is expressed in US dollars but based on the Ethereum blockchain.
The second, third and forth rounds of print/NFT sales will be listed for $250, $300 and $350 each.
The fifth and sixth drops will be bundles that will include all 34 prints and NFTs and will be auctioned with reserve prices in the range of $10,000 to $14,000.
The final drop in the collection will be a single NFT representing all 34 portraits plus all 34 framed, original paintings ready to hang. This will also be auctioned for a price which will be revealed later.
What are you going to do with all the money you earn from this sale?
1. As stated earlier, I am going to donate 50% of all the net profits from each sale, in the name of the purchaser, to Cubs Charities. So, if you purchase a print/NFT for $200 I will subtract the cost of creating the giclee print, the cost of shipping, and the cost of minting the NFT (the "gas" fees) and donate half of what is left to Cubs Charities. And, I will send you a receipt with your name as the donor.
2. I will take my share and probably buy more paint, brushes and watercolor paper, before wasting whatever remains on frivolities like rent and food.
What online marketplace will these NFTs be sold through.
OpenSea.com
Do I need to own a digital currency like Bitcoin or Ethereum to buy?
To purchase items in this collection on OpenSea, you will need to own a sufficient amount USDC crypto currency and hold it in a digital wallet like Metamask.
If the NFT aspects of this are not "your cup of tea," no problem. You can still purchase from TalbertFineArt.com. I will ship you the print and the tax receipt. If you have a crypto wallet, I will transfer the NFT to you at no additional charge (i.e., I will pay the gas fees.) If you do not have a crypto wallet where you can receive the NFT, I can arrange to hold it for you and transfer it to you at no charge at any time up to one year later.
To set up Metamask which will allow you to buy, sell and trade on OpenSea and take possession of your NFTs, you can watch THIS video. Or, just search the web where you will find plenty of other aids and videos that explain how to do it. (If I can do it, you can do it. I am a baby-boomer, born before even black-and-white television was commonplace.)
If I want to collect one of every painting, how might I do that?
You could collect one NFT from each of the 26 for-sale series on OpenSea. Once you have all 26 paintings, you will automatically receive all of the other free gifts and awards that go with attaining this highest level of collection status which will include receiving free NFTs and one free print for the other eight paintings in the collection. (You receive these as you attain the different bonus tiers.) So, you would own 34 NFTs and 34 limited-edition signed giclee prints which you could frame and hang in your home, your business, your yacht or the terminal where you park your jet plane. This would be a nice collection of NFTs and signed, limited-edition giclee prints. (Since there are 6 NFTs and limited edition prints of each painting, there will never be more than 6 collectors who can achieve this type of collection.)
The other way to collect the whole collection is to enter a winning bid for the final NFT drop, starting on June 9, the one that includes the all 34 original paintings, framed and ready to hang and shipped directly to you plus an NFT for the entire collection plus other very cool bonus gifts unlocked and revealed after the purchase.. There will only be one of these.
What are the bonus tiers you mentioned earlier?
Here are the bonus tiers and corresponding prizes for each level of collection attainment:
- One free NFT (1/12) from the set of 8 Not-For-Sale paintings (Hammel, Szczur, Lastella, Zastryzny, Epstein, Hoyer, Ricketts or gorilla).
- One corresponding limited-edition (1/12) signed giclee print of the artwork (unframed, 11 inches high).
- One signed high-quality canvas print wall hanging of the entire 2016 Cubs Portrait collection (see it HERE).
- Two additional free NFTs (1/12) from the set of 8 Not-For-Sale paintings (Hammel, Szczur, Lastella, Zastryzny, Epstein, Hoyer, Ricketts or gorilla).
- Two corresponding limited-edition (1/12) signed giclee prints of the artwork (unframed, 11 inches high).
- Three additional free NFTs (1/12) from the set of 8 Not-For-Sale paintings (Hammel, Szczur, Lastella, Zastryzny, Epstein, Hoyer, Ricketts or gorilla).
- Three corresponding limited-edition (1/12) signed giclee prints of the artwork (unframed, 11 inches high).
- Two additional free NFTs (1/12) from the set of 8 Not-For-Sale paintings (Hammel, Szczur, Lastella, Zastryzny, Epstein, Hoyer, Ricketts or gorilla) giving you a complete set of all 34 NFTs.
- Three corresponding limited-edition (1/12) signed giclee prints of the artwork (unframed, 11 inches high) giving you a complete set of 34 prints.
- An original watercolor portrait of yourself (or a friend or family member) done in the same style and materials.
- Two (2) tickets to box seats at a Cubs game of your choice at Wrigley in 2022 (or 2023 if preferred).
If I were to buy the entire collection (not saying that is what I am thinking, but just suppose), what would I receive?
You get a bunch of great, totally unique and authentically awesome stuff including all the following.
1. High resolution of the 2016 cubs collection collage (see it HERE).
2. All 34 original paintings, framed and ready to hang. (see them all HERE).
3. Any other painting on my website - TalbertFineArt.com - that is currently available and for sale, regardless of my asking price, redeemable for one year from the time the NFT is purchased.
4. A custom-commissioned painting, done in the same style and size as the rest of the 2016 Cubs Collection, of you (or a member of your family or a friend or anybody you pick, actually)
5. $5,000 held in escrow to purchase tickets to a World Series game the next time the Cubs are in the World Series any time in the next five years (i.e., any time until the end of 2026.) If the Cubs do not return to the World Series in the next five years, I will send you check for $5,000.
6. A tax receipt for the amount I donated in your name to Cubs Charities, as explained earlier.
Do I acquire the copyright to these original artworks if I purchase any of these NFTs?
No. Like any artwork acquisition that you would make in a traditional brick-and-mortar gallery or directly from the artist, the copyright remains with the artist, unless it is sold separately.
If I want to resell any of the Cubs Collection NFTs, how do I do that.
You will never want to resell them. You will treasure them forever and pass them on from generation to generation. (Just kidding) You can resell the NFTS (with or without the physical paintings) on OpenSea.com at any time. Go to OpenSea.com for more information.
Is there a royalty that is deducted for reselling any of the NFTs?
Yes. The royalty for reselling one of these NFTs is six (6) percent.
Is there a royalty that applies to reselling any of the limited-edition prints or original paintings?
No.
If I resell an NFT do I have to resell the limited edition print or original paintings too?
No. You could choose to bundle the physical art with NFT and sell both together, as I am doing, or you could just sell the NFT or the artwork separately.
Would this make a good investment?
My advice to anyone collecting my artwork is to only collect it if it resonates with you, personally, and brings you enjoyment, not because you hope for or plan on a financial return. Nothing I have stated here should be construed as investment advice. I am not a financial advisor or an art appraiser or an NFT pundit.
Will the Cubs ever win another World Series?
That is a very good question. My Magic Eight Ball is the optimistic type, but all it will tell me is "Reply hazy, try again."
