LA Based Artist Ed Massey Joins the Minter’s Collective

‍LOS ANGELES, Calif. (October 13, 2021) — The Minter’s Collective, an artist collective that helps artists develop their business and expand into NFT and cryptocurrency markets, today announces that it has added artist and activist artist Ed Massey to its featured artist platform. Massey is a prolific and multi-talented artist whose work transcends genres and geographic boundaries. Through his partnership with The Minters Collective, Massey aims to launch his first NFT art collection, Animal Series, and utilize the platform to make his work accessible and increase awareness of social issues reflected in his art while monetizing his work for future projects by leveraging the collective's NFT expertise. 

Massey’s career in the creative arts spans 30 years and numerous genres. He is recognized worldwide for his art activism, including as being a voice for the homeless in the US. 

As an undergraduate, Massey was the lead fashion designer for Team USA and Quintana Roo, notable brands carried in high end department stores. While at UCLA as a sociology major, Massey developed an interest in sculpture and honed his skills in the medium. He was recognized as the only non-fine arts major and finalist for UCLA's juried fine art competition. This experience was pivotal in his career and solidified his decision to further pursue sculpting while also refining his artistic vision—exploring the intersections of art and social relevance.

Massey went on to earn his MFA from Columbia University, with an emphasis on public art. While enrolled at Columbia, Massey was commissioned to create a 20-foot sculpture for a building in Washington DC, entitled Corporate Ladder. The piece stirred up great controversy and served as Massey’s first real foray into the space of public art and public perception. 

Later, Massey would go on to write his first children’s picture book, Milton, which is a story of imagination and creativity. After being invited to share his book with pediatric patients, Massey created Portraits of Hope, a non-profit program serving individuals facing socioeconomic, medical, or physical challenges. Portraits of Hope provides opportunities for the general public to participate in its large-scale public art and civic projects to increase awareness of social issues while revitalizing and visually transforming public spaces. 

Throughout the early 2000s, Massey continued to introduce audiences across the globe to provocative artwork tackling social issues such as ethnic and gender inequities, American education, modern life, public transportation, immigration, violence and crime, terrorism, and civic engagement. His work has also been featured across New York, New Orleans, and Los Angeles , among other cities, as a solution to beautify public spaces scarred by natural disasters and neglect. 

In 2019, Massey began his public exhibition In the Image, a sculpture in Santa Monica depicting a 7-foot-tall homeless man created to increase the discourse and action on homelessness in America. In an expansion of this project, Massey has plans to provide thousands of colorful art tents to homeless individuals if community and government leaders do not begin to significantly reduce the numbers of homeless on the streets. 

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Massey’s upcoming projects include continuing his work with Portraits of Hope and planning for a large-scale civic and public art water-borne project. 

"I'm looking forward to teaming with The Minter's Collective as a way not only to open a new window into my art and the social issues I care deeply about but also to be at the forefront of a new artistic revolution in the digital age," said Massey. 

The Minter’s Collective partners with artists like Massey to grow their audiences and monetize their craft through digital art and NFTs. The Collective leads artists through NFT basics such as  the minting process,  marketing, and more. 

“We are honored to welcome Ed Massey to The Minters Collective,” said Alex Chompff, CEO of The Minters Collective. “Ed is a recognizable name in the art scene both for his innovative approaches to his craft and the way he uses his art for social change. The Minters Collective is excited to help Ed monetize his work while also bringing his art to new audiences across the globe.” 

To learn more about Ed Massey’s Animal Series, which is his first NFT art collection, visit https://www.animalseries.art

To learn more about The Minters Collective, visit https://www.minters.art/.