• Patron-of-Art.com and the National Art Museum of Ukraine have launched a charitable NFT collection
• All net proceeds will be distributed to an established charity, the German-Ukrainian Society for Economics and Science (Deutsch-Ukrainische Gesellschaft, DUG) / Ukraine Art Aid Center

Switzerland, December 7, 2022 – With over 40,000 exhibits, including paintings and sculptures from the Middle Ages to the present day, the National Art Museum of Ukraine (NAMU) is the oldest and largest museum in Kyiv. It has the most representative collection of Ukrainian figurative art, housing masterpieces by the likes of Oleksandra Ekster, Serhiy Vasylkivsky, and Oleksandr Arkhypenko, and is regarded as one of Ukraine’s most important museums for national art. 

NAMU and Patron-of-Art.com announced their charitable venture during a plenary presentation at the 26th International Council of Museums (ICOM) General Conference, which attracted 2.400 museum professionals. This collection will consist of digital replicas of more than 20 of the museum’s famous masterpieces. The first series of four artworks, minted in limited edition, will be available for purchase on Patron-of-Art.com starting on December 7th. 

“10 million people own digital collectibles, and this number is growing daily,” says Dr. Stephan Holzer, former McKinsey & Company’s Blockchain Expert for Europe, and CEO of VERITIC. “We built Patron-of- Art.com to be the best platform for museums, other cultural institutions, and artists to reach this growing digital audience and nurture a new generation of art enthusiasts and patrons. We work closely with them to create digital collectibles in the most accessible, secure, and sustainable way.” 

“Besides Patron-of-Art.com’s regular business activities, we pledge to partner with one museum from a country in crisis each year pro bono. We are glad to announce that NAMU is our first partner.” 

All proceeds from the sale of this NFT collection – net of transaction fees and 3% commission to cover platform and accounting operating costs – will be distributed to the Deutsch-Ukrainische Gesellschaft (DUG) / Ukraine Art Aid Center. The funds will support NAMU in addressing the challenges posed by the Russian attack, including efforts to protect and restore its collection, and, potentially, fortify the museum’s building. Funds will also support digitization projects at NAMU and other museums across Ukraine. 

“Compounding the humanitarian crisis is a threat to cultural heritage,” says Yuliia Lytvynet, director of NAMU. “Partnerships with organizations such as Patron-of-Art.com and DUG / Ukraine Art Aid Centre provide direct support in our efforts to protect our museum’s collection for the duration of this war as well as during the reconstruction period.” 

Since March 2022, DUG / Ukraine Art Aid Center has been providing practical help in Ukraine’s efforts to rescue cultural exhibits and monuments and is supported by the German Government and World Heritage Watch. Through previous partnerships with ICOM Switzerland, the Association of German Art Historians and more organizations, the registered charity has so far sent more than 20 trucks, buses and cargo via freight train containing 3D scanners, climate control devices, packaging materials, special fire extinguishers and more to museums across Ukraine. 

The Coordinator of the Ukraine Art Aid Center, Dr. Olena Balun, says, “NFT projects such as this can engage global, digital-native audiences and catalyze support for worthy causes. We hope our partnership with Patron-of-Art.com and NAMU will raise awareness about the pressing challenges Ukraine faces in the preservation of its cultural heritage, while raising much needed funds.” 

Patron-of-Art.com had acquired the exclusive sales rights of the NFT collection from Stampsdaq, a Ukrainian NFT company. Stampsdaq CEO Andrii Shapovalov says, “I consider Patron-of-Art.com to be the best place to host these NFTs due to its dedication and strategy to develop integrated partnerships with museums. With Patron-of-Art.com taking over, we can focus on our NFT Stamps business.” 

To view the collection, please visit https://bit.ly/NAMU-NFT.  

Visitors of Patron-of-Art.com can also claim a free NFT that contains a painting of Ukraine’s national hero to show their support of Ukraine. 

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Patron of Art Media Contacts 

Dr. Stephan Holzer | Chief Executive Officer [email protected]
Dr. Giacomo Schwarz | Chief Marketing Officer [email protected]

About Patron-of-Art.com 

10 million people currently own digital collectibles, and this number is increasing faster than ever. Patron-of-Art.com helps museums tap into this space, to grow their digital audience and nurture a new generation of patrons. With Patron-of-Art.com, museums can create digital replicas of their masterpieces as collectibles that are accessible, secure, and sustainable for everybody.  

Patron-of-Art.com is a Swiss based full-service platform that provides digital collectible creation, contextual representation, education, marketing, community building, security, conservation, and compliance. Low barriers to entry such as attractive licensing royalties and no initial costs are also available to our museum partners.  

Patron-of-Art.com was created by experts across art and technology hailing from Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Google. 

About the National Art Museum of Ukraine

The National Museum of Art of Ukraine is the oldest museum in Kyiv, opened in 1899, with the best collection of works of Ukrainian art from the 12th century to the present. The museum was founded through the efforts of Ukrainian intellectuals in the late 19th century as the first public museum in Kyiv.  

About the German-Ukrainian Society for Economics and Science (Deutsch-Ukrainische Gesellschaft) / Ukraine Art Aid Center

The Ukraine Art Aid Center was founded in March 2022 and soon entered a cooperation with the German-Ukrainian Society for Economics and Science (Deutsch-Ukrainische Gesellschaft), a registered charity. The focus is on organizing urgently needed material transports to Ukraine for the protection of collections and monuments, quickly and unbureaucratically. Since the beginning of March, the Ukraine Art Aid Center has sent more than 20 large aid deliveries by truck, bus, and train directly to affected museums and institutions in Ukraine. 

The Ukraine Art Aid Center includes a large group of experts working on a voluntary basis, including German university professors, art transport specialists and art dealers. It is supported by the German government, several German museums, as well as renowned organizations such as World Heritage Watch, Max-Liebermann-Gesellschaft, and ICOM Switzerland. 

About Stampsdaq

Stampsdaq is an EU-based NFT company founded in 2021 and exclusively dedicated to cooperation with designated postal operators worldwide. Its recently launched platform for NFT Stamps is designed to bridge the interests of postal operators and the global community of collectors. Stampsdaq provides a One-Stop-Shop solution with no investment required from a postal operator side. The company promotes and implements “Collect with Benefits” vision of creating an extra utility value and real-world experiences for NFT Stamps owners to drive the interest to NFT Stamps collecting and to stamp collecting in general. 

Stampsdaq currently holds several license agreements with different designated postal operators and is in active negotiations with over 60 postal operators worldwide. It is also an associate member of the Consultative Committee and World Association for Development of Philately (WADP) of the Universal Postal Union.