The 70s era star vocalist of the Mamas & the Papas, Michelle Phillips, is auctioning off non-fungible tokens (NFT) for charity.
Sponsored Phillip’s is auctioning off original artwork as an NFT to benefit the charity The Painted Turtle. The NFT includes a video of the singer drawing a group portrait of the band and the digital image. In addition, the digital image features her signature and a special message to the winning bidder.
The original, physical copy of the drawing will be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Ten copies of the NFT are listed at a minimum of $10,000 each, which at the time of writing equates to 5.1 ETH. The auction runs through June 29 via ViciNFT on OpenSea.
Sponsored ViciNFT, the corporation managing the auction, leads the industry in digital asset management of artists and businesses. Its clients span the emerging non-fungible token (NFT) scene, blockchain development, and crypto-based auctions.
Bill Gladstone, a partner at ViciNFT, commented on the Phillips auction: “Michelle represents the essence of the California musical and cultural transformation of the 1960s which has impacted the world for more than fifty years.”
ViciNFT requires all NFT auctions to have a philanthropic component, with 25% of the profits going to selected charities. The same goes for Phillips’ auction, which will benefit The Painted Turtle, a charity that organizes free camps for children with serious medical ailments.
Lou Adler founded The Painted Turtle in 1999 with his wife Page and actor Paul Newman. Adler produced music for the Mamas & the Papas and commented on the NFT as a “priceless treasure for the winning bidder.”
Celebrity NFTs on the Rise
Michelle Phillips is among the growing number of high profile artists involved with the NFT market.
Recently, the music industry’s interest in NFTs skyrocketed and entire album projects appeared on the market. For the music industry, NFTs offer another opportunity for artists to market merchandise. The popular electronic musician Grimes turned her digital art into the one of the highest grossing NFTs in the industry.
Even record labels are jumping on the craze to create NFT concert tickets in an attempt to reduce ticketing fraud.
In the case of Phillips, it’s not just the music-related memorabilia that is up for grabs. Along with the NFT video and digital art, successful bidders are invited to dinner with the singer and her friends in Westwood, California. Also in attendance will be the CEO of The Painted Turtle and members of ViciNFT.
Michelle herself commented on the auction, “I am delighted to be able to help so many children through these auctions.” Regarding the dinner, she added, “I am hoping Lou Adler and several of my other friends will join the special dinner that will be held for the winning bidders on September 2021 at my favorite Italian restaurant PASTINA in Westwood California.”