It’s Friday and I’ve been feeling challenged all week long (in a good way).

I’m obsessed with CryptoArt. It’s a nascent trend that I feel compelled to fully understand. I want to learn everything about it including how NFTs work and who the most influential artists and luminaries are in the field.

Crypto is probably the most exciting thing to happen in art since the late 80s when street art first became a worldwide phenomenon.

Currently I’m tuning in to Clubhouse – for up to 3 hours a day – to listen and learn. Seriously, the rooms focusing on NFT Tips provide the equivalent of a grad school-level education on the intricacies of crypto art and the Metaverse.

The Clubhouse rooms on this topic are filled with experts, from digital artists to DeFi/NFT investors and developers to traditional museum curators who see a need to get ahead of this trend. This whole scene has emerged over just the last 6-12 months. Everybody is in learning mode and super excited about the opportunities.

and with that, Scroll down for this week’s Top 10.

1. So What the heck is going on with cryptoart? So much to learn!

I have gone down a giant rabbit hole trying to understand cryptomedia and NFT art/collectibles. One young collector on Clubhouse described its appeal (and I’m paraphrasing him): My generation doesn’t really own things, e.g., we listen to music on Spotify, we stream movies, we play games online. Why would we want to collect art that only 20 people would ever see in our house vs. having a digital art collection that we can interact with and share with all of our friends?

and that’s why I’m spending 3 hours a day at my “grad school” (seriously!)

This session (2/10) with FVckrender was one of the best yet

lots of chatter about this new platform – worth watching!

Other highlights/discoveries

• The language, e.g., complaining that GAS PRICES are TOO HIGH, as in “it costs between $15.00 and $50.00 to mint a single piece of NFT artwork on Ethereum?” Sounds like the digital equivalent of “oil paint is too expensive??”
• NBA Top Shot, still in Beta but with over $31M USD in sales, considered the future of the trading card market. It is currently the highest–selling NFT, overtaking CryptoKitties (by the same developer). At launch, the site was overwhelmed and described as being like one Apple store with 40K people lined up outside to buy a $1000 NFT collectible.
• “Hashmasks” is one of the most talked about new NFT projects. It’s a “live” digital art collection created by more than 70 artists around the world. The entire collection sold out in under one week for over $9 million.
• Crypto artist Pak (second-most profitable artist in the world with $5.2 million in NFT sales), launched an auction for “The Creation,” based on Michelangelo’s “The Creation of Adam.” He cut it into 560 individual NFT-tiles. Collectors bid on each tile and thus successively reveal different parts of the whole picture. (Source: decrypt.co)
• Artists/experts to follow: Mike Winkelman (beeple – TOP crypto artist in the world!!), Fvckrender (LOVE him!), Lindsay Howard, Benny Giang (Co-Founder of CryptoKitties and NBA TopShot), Refik Anadol (artist).

If you can’t tell, I’m super excited about the NFT/CryptoArt scene. And it’s for 3 reasons: i) it’s thrilling to get in on the ground floor of something that’s shaping up to be an absolute game changer for the art market, ii) all those involved are extraordinarily smart and nice (happily sharing their learning and their experiences, and iii) I feel so fortunate to be discovering this on the perfect platform for learning, Clubhouse.

2. Speaking of Clubhouse, it got all kinds of crazy this week!!

Clubhouse is audio-vérité so you hear everything, from people cooking/rattling pans to kids screaming. But WHOA, nothing prepared me for the cat fight that went down between two women speakers. One woman insisted the other be removed from the stage for “always” giving bad advice. The male moderators were freaking out trying to calm things down (I think I even heard them ask for SECURITY). Ultimately the room was “re-set” and the show went on. All I can say is, “Ladies, keep it in check.”

• On a more pleasant note, I am LOVING the Clubhouse sessions coming from Germany. I am optimistic that my German language skills will get a big boost after a few months of listening to “Wo sind die Deutschen.”

3. LAS VEGAS AREA 15 – home of Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart – finally opening!

This has been a long, strange journey

Initially scheduled to open in late 2019, then late 2020, it is now set to be fully open on February 18, 2021.

The 200,000-square-foot Area 15 complex includes major art installations, virtual reality experiences, and dining and drinks.

• Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart exists within a 52,000 square foot surreal supermarket. Over 325 creatives took part in making the exhibit, which includes over 250 unique projects. And major shoutout to my friend, Jo Russ (pic above), an amazing artist, who also happens to be working on this project – just caught it on Instagram this morning!
• Chef Todd English’s The Beast Food Hall launched in September as a pop-up, but now the entire 6,500-square-foot food hall is open.
• Emporium Arcade Bar, featuring pool, pinball, foosball, and local beers in a massive mural-lined arcade, is also finally open.

4. Who’s ready to get back to the office?

This is one trend where there is absolutely no consistent finding. However, I am picking up a steady drumbeat of people NOT wanting to work from their kitchen tables anymore. So does that mean going back to the office a few days a week, doing a co-working space – or something else entirely? I do not have an answer. As a former business owner, what I can say, unequivocally, is that I would NOT be happy with a remote work force. I would want my people back in the office.

Here’s a quick recap of who is – and who isn’t – going back to the office

• With over half of all employees vaccinated as of early February, the City of Las Vegas is bringing back its workers to full-time, in-person work beginning March 15.

• Tiffany’s corporate staff has been instructed to return to the office two days a week beginning March 1.

tech? all over the place

“I think we sort of moved into that phase where people actually struggle mentally, they’re not enjoying it. One of our employees said to me the other day, ‘I don’t mind the option of working from home. I don’t like being forced to work from home.‘”

Chuck Robbins, CISCO CEO (Source: CNBC)

Brent Hyder, Salesforce’s chief people officer, explained they have three different categories of work: flex, fully remote, and office-based.

• Flex would mean coming into the office one to three days per week and typically only for “team collaboration, customer meetings, and presentations,” and Salesforce expects most of its employees to fall into this category. (Source: The Verge)

5. TikTok Trend Report: Discover What’s Next (Link here)

Interesting report for the biz community. It covers 20 different countries (individually). PLUS kudos to TikTok for their catchy slogan: Don’t make ads. Make TikToks.

North American version ((link here):

4 main themes, with most popular hashtags, for North America:

• Home & Garden (#homerenovation, #homedecor)
• Camping (#Jeeplife, #campinghack)
• Video Games (#Fortnite, #twitch)
• Cooking (Ramsayreacts)

6. Is it true that People are getting their tattoos removed?

Last July (early in the pandemic), I wrote about people rushing to get COVID tats including tattoos to memorialize those they had lost (#5 in this post). Now, however, an opposite trend has emerged. People are clamoring to get their tattoos removed. The ad below is one of several that recently popped up in Columbus, OH. Thank you, Jeanie Vance, for putting on my radar. Anybody else noticing this?

Here’s why (perhaps) this is happening (from Canada’s Yaletown Laser Centre)

• More women than men want to remove an unwanted tattoo (69% women vs 31% men)
• 57% of people felt embarrassed by their tattoos which prompted their decision to remove them.
• 38% got their tattoos removed due to a new career (I find it hard to believe that there is any workplace stigma related to tattoos – esp. in the States)
• Personally, I think this may be due to people having spent a year contemplating their lives and removing excess baggage (of all kinds).

7. Shopping in NYC this past Saturday was crazy busy!

I attempted to buy new snow boots at my local REI. Not a chance. Look at this line – at least 30-deep! It was a gorgeous day and as I walked around, I saw more people carrying shopping bags than I’ve seen in over a year, e.g., from Zara, Kith, Crate & Barrel, Adidas, Nike, Everlane. I might have been stymied in my attempt to shop but retail was on fire.

8. And when not shopping, there was partying – from the streets to galleries to restaurants/bars.

People are beyond ready to get out and have a good time. Today (Friday), NYC is bringing back indoor dining. It’s going to be WILD.

9. Super Bowl’s BIGGEST SURPRISE: OATLY’s “Wow, No Cow” spot

Top comedian, Andrew Schulz and his crew on Flagrant2, LOVED the Oatly commercial. Could have bowled me over but they have EXCELLENT reasons for why the spot works.

10. Yay for Cedric and Ochi Vongerichten and Wayan’s 2-yr anniversary

Wayan is one of my favorite restaurants. And it just warms the cockles of my heart that they sent me this amazing, thoughtful gift. That’s what I call HOSPITALITY!

But it doesn’t stop there for the Vongerichtens

Cedric’s dad, Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten will open his first place in the South when he takes over the former Capitol Grille at the Hermitage Hotel in Nashville this fall. To all my Nashville friends, you must check this out!

And that’s a wrap

It’s FRI-YAY!!! And a major celebratory weekend with the Lunar New Year and Valentine’s Day on Sunday.

Today, I’m off to lunch at Ludlow House to celebrate the return of indoor dining. The new garden room will be divine! Saturday, celebrating the return to NYC of one of my all-time besties, Dean. We’re hitting up NOMO Kitchen. Next week’s highlight will be lunch at PEAK with Jill and Sharon.

EVERYONE I know is getting their COVID shot (mine’s not until Feb 23!). Brad got his yesterday in AZ on his 65th birthday! He was beyond thrilled and reported it went “smooth as butter.”

Until next week, my friends, stay safe and stay well. And make sure you have some fun. I’m leaving you with two absolutely hysterical videos.

“i’m not a cat” – this cracks me up every single time I watch it!

The twins (who I’ve written about previously) react to SNL’s surprise parody of their youtube show. fabulous and so meta.

“Just to take the time out of your day to try to be like us? Brother, that’s crazy.”

Tim to his brother Fred

Have a great weekend everyone!