Cordell Broadus Partners With Tezos Foundation to Launch the Champ Medici Arts Fund $1 Million Initiative to Support Emerging Artists

—Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation Named First Beneficiary at Miami Art Week–

MIAMI BEACH, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Crypto and Web3 entrepreneur Cordell Broadus today announced the launch of the Champ Medici Arts Fund, a $1 Million philanthropic effort in partnership with The Tezos Foundation to support emerging artists across the globe looking to build and create works on the Tezos blockchain. Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, the non-profit co-founded by visual artist Danny Simmons, music mogul Russell Simmons and Joseph “Rev. Run” Simmons of legendary hip hop group Run-DMC, becomes the first recipient to receive a grant from the Champ Medici Arts Fund, which will see them create and launch an upcoming piece on the Tezos blockchain.

A multi-faceted business entrepreneur and son of music icon Snoop Dogg, Cordell is widely known throughout the metaverse as his Bored Ape NFT, Champ Medici. Over the years, he has gained recognition for championing crypto currency and Web3 in its early stages, becoming one of the most influential figures at the forefront of the industry and as an avid supporter of the arts.

“I am excited to announce this partnership with The Tezos Foundation, that will bring new artists to Tezos, one of the world’s most advanced and artist friendly blockchains. I have been an advocate for blockchain technology since its early stages and believe it’s here to stay. My mission has always been to support up and coming artists and to provide access to innovative forms of artistic expression especially for minority groups. The Champ Medici Arts Fund was founded as a result of this goal. We hope this endeavor will impact artists looking to access technology for their work and look forward to building future collaborations within the Tezos ecosystem,” states Cordell Broadus aka Champ Medici.

Tezos, an energy-efficient blockchain has garnered global acclaim as the blockchain of choice for artists and institutions looking to mint NFTs sustainably and responsibly. The Champ Medici Arts Fund will provide monetary grants for emerging artists as well as onboarding to the Tezos community, a diverse, global network of artists, collectors and creators looking to explore NFTs as a new medium for creative expression.

“The Tezos ecosystem is known for its incredible artists who are pushing the boundaries of digital art. I’m honoured that Champ Medici has selected Tezos for this initiative and will be joining this flourishing community of creative talent. It’s fantastic that Rush Arts will be named as its first beneficiary. My hope is that this empowers a whole new wave of up-and-coming artists, from a diverse range of backgrounds, to start their Web3 journeys,” Mason Edwards, Chief Commercial Officer of the Tezos Foundation adds.

The Tezos Foundation is a non-profit organization which deploys resources to entities and initiatives in support of the Tezos ecosystem. Recently, the Tezos Foundation established the Tezos Foundation Permanent Art Collection, a $1.2 million effort to support emerging artists from across the globe – curated by activist and mentor Misan Harriman, Chair of the Southbank Center in London. Serpentine Galleries also recently announced a multi-year partnership with the Tezos Foundation leveraging the open-source, energy efficient blockchain.

“Rush Arts has been around for nearly thirty years and we are pleased to head into a new season to support our artists with the adoption of NFTs, especially since minority urban audiences are often the last to benefit from early adoption of new technologies,” said visual artist and author Danny Simmons, chairman of the board of Rush Arts.

Simmons added, “By partnering with Champ Medici, his fund and the Tezos ecosystem, we plan to onboard talented emerging Black artists and educate them on how to leverage Web3 to grow their careers.”

Co-founded in New York City in 1995, Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation is devoted to supporting emerging underrepresented artists with exhibition opportunities as well as providing inner city youth with significant exposure to the arts. Rush Arts founded galleries were the sites of early career exhibitions of artists like Simone Leigh, Wangechi Mutu, Kehinde Wiley, Mickalene Thomas, Sanford Biggers, Allison Janae Hamilton and many other artists that are dominating the contemporary art scene today.

The Champ Medici Arts Fund will host an exclusive VIP event on December 3, 2022, at Art Basel Miami Beach to honor Danny Simmons and the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation for their work over the past thirty years of providing support for emerging Black artists and access to the arts for underrepresented communities.

The Champ Medici Arts Fund will officially launch on January 2, 2023. The fund will begin accepting applications on December 5, 2022, at www.champmedicigroup.io/thearts. For more information, please visit the website.

About Tezos

Tezos is smart money, redefining what it means to hold and exchange value in a digitally connected world. A self-upgradable and energy-efficient Proof of Stake blockchain with a proven track record, Tezos seamlessly adopts tomorrow’s innovations without network disruptions today. For more information, please visit www.tezos.com.

About Tezos x Art:

Tezos, an energy-efficient blockchain, has gained global acclaim as the platform of choice for artists and institutions looking to mint NFTs sustainably and responsibly. The Tezos NFT art community is home to a diverse, global network of artists, collectors and builders exploring NFTs as a new medium for creative expression. The Tezos art community has been featured at Art Basel in Miami Beach 2021, Art Basel in Hong Kong 2022, Art Basel in Basel 2022, Venice Biennale 2020, SXSW 2022, and more. The Tezos Foundation, a non-profit organization in the Tezos ecosystem, recently established the Tezos Foundation Permanent Art Collection, a $1 million effort to support emerging artists from across the globe – curated by activist and commentator Misan Harriman, Chair of the Southbank Center in London. With Tezos home to major NFT platforms such as fxhash, Objkt.com, and Teia.art, more artists are choosing to create on Tezos than ever before.

Contacts

Keesha Johnson

Gushcloud International (US) | [email protected]