First Islamic NFT Charity Art Gallery Opens In Chicago On Dec. 26

A first-of-its-kind NFT-based 'Giving is Beautiful' charity art gallery is opening on Dec. 26, at the MAS-ICNA convention being held at McCormick Place in Chicago.

The art gallery includes original artworks ranging in style from Arabic calligraphy, calligraphy-themed art, abstract realism and abstract art from artists Ruby Jaffrey, Shayma Al-Shiri, Qasim Arif, and Mustafa Horton. The artists, who have minted non-fungible tokens for their pieces on the popular NFT marketplace OpenSea, will showcase three unique pieces.

The royalties of the artwork will be donated to Baitulmaal, the charity supported by the art project, according to the official release. Visitors can also bid on prints of the digital art and a portion of the proceeds from the auction will also be donated to the same charity. Purchases can also be made online through givingisbeautiful.org.

During the convention, two other pieces will be shown featuring the work done by the charity to date. Another art piece is a custom-built vending machine that offers charity opportunities in exchange of snacks and sodas. Visitors can select from 30 giving options, such as winter relief, water access, orphan support, or education.

"With art as the vehicle, donors can enjoy the beauty of their contributions on their walls, in their digital collections and in their hearts," said John Janney, Baitulmaal communications director and chief curator for the Giving is Beautiful initiative.

Headquartered in Texas, Baitulmaal is an international humanitarian aid organization that provides life-saving, life-sustaining, and life-enriching aid to people in need around the world.