We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Monique Garza Sullivan a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Monique, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
Risk is something I calculate very carefully. There are many components that need to align when considering a move into a new realm for my artist career. One day in early 2021, I caught a glimpse into a new enticing world of Cryptoart. I just so happened to view a post of one of my favorite Fine Art photographers making a difference with his billboard art campaign, Justin Aversano. His Twin Flames photography series had found a new home in this type of underground world of cryptocurrency. What was this novel world comprised of artists, writers, builders and dreamers from around the world ? My curiosity lead me down the rabbit hole of NFTs, Web3 and the exciting world of STEM technology merging into art. What I discovered was the intellectual discourse of how culture create this idea of MEMEs and how they shape the human experience. Entire artist creator ecosystems began sprouting through the chaos of these times of Corona. It was a movement of visionaries who found concepts of authenticity, provenance and self-sovereignty to be fundamental with the expression of this new artistic revolution. Cryptoart has introduced ideas of digital identity, data ownership and the decentralization of those layers as our new fight for freedom. In addition, underrepresented communities needing a voice became imperative in my quest of sharing our SATX point of view. Missing elements of women/people of color were stark and it is there where I found my passion to become one of those voices transforming the Web3 culture. It was a scary-risky place because for the past two years, the Fine Arts world has been reluctant and even resistant to the evolution. However, as blockchain opens those doors and windows, it becomes a constantly evolving space. Novel tools are accessible surprised audiences, outside the box creatives, and curious spectators. Introducing novel ideas about the Metaverse experiences, Artificial Intelligence and DeFi were learning opportunities.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?
Monique Sullivan earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art with a concentration in Photography from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Her work is inspired by her dreams, spirituality and Latina heritage. Her range of artworks includes photography, painting, meme assemblage, printmaking, installation and video. Artistic influences include Andy Warhol, David LaChapelle, Frida Kahlo, Annie Leibovitz, Mark Romanek, Dale Chihuly, Nick Veasey, Bansky, and classic masters Henri Matisse, Salvador Dalí, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Vincent Van Gogh, Leonardo da Vinci, Marc Chagall, Claude Monet and Pablo Picasso. Monique is a real estate Mom-trepreneur who additionally participated in several Artist-In-Residence opportunities. She works as a Creative Art Director, Social Media and Engagement Strategist for several businesses. She competes throughout the year to local, state and worldwide exhibitions. Her photography has been displayed at galleries for international events such as Paris Photo, Germany’s Photoszene, SXSW, Art Basel and NFT.NYC. She has been published in numerous magazines, books and calendars for her work. She has earned many recognition awards for visual arts and even featured in Polaroid Magazine. She is a life member of the UTSA Alumni Association, RAW DAO & a WOW Pixies DAO Member. She was born in San Antonio and graduated with Honors from Winston Churchill High School. During that time, she became a member of the National Honors Society, National French Honors Society and the National Forensic League. She was on Varsity Theatre, Choir and competed in UIL Oral Interpretation. She was a member in various UT Austin & UTSA clubs such as the Student Art Guild and the Ballroom Dancing Club. She was the first Vice President of Media Coordination at the Exposure Photography Club. Her historic district studios are located at her 1910 Craftsman three story home. She lives with her husband, two children and two chickens.
The Aquarian Creative mission promotes the education, preservation and exhibition of Blockchain Contemporary Art. The importance of archiving important crypto-native cultural objects is significant to the evolution of art history and the foundations of provenance. With the philosophy of building public goods in decentralized spaces, Aquarian Creative gives the opportunity for accessibility, assists with the exhibition of early on-chain art, and provides scholarships for Women artists in the Blockchain field.
Aquarian Creative Class of 2023 will be introduced to the world of self-sovereignty through artist workshops, Web3 strategies and social content engagement skills. Utilizing the tools/medium of Blockchain technology, Aquarian Creative will improve and help support the communities of diverse ecosystems as it advocates for the understanding of equal representation policies. Artist-In-Residents will also be provided a scholarship for the attendance of The University of Nicosia (UNIC) first open introductory course to NFTs and the Metaverse, delivered on-chain and in the metaverse. Aquarian Creative empowers innovators and visionaries to advance this digital renaissance to become a legacy of historic creativity shared in an open sourced immutable way.
The Aquarian Creative Museum will be showcasing & traveling throughout the year. It will feature revolving collaborations, Artist-In-Residence opportunities for especially Latina artists in NFTs. Additionally, future immersive Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality gallery experiences will unfold as the technology evolves
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the constant inspiration from my family, culture, and spirituality. At this current time, it feels like I am sailing a ship with my tribe on the OpenSeas. Flying a flag of freedom towards an echoing promise of beauty and harmony. As an artist, I love to recognize life’s rhythm, liveliness and synchronicity as an enriched point of view for different audiences. Additionally, to communicate significant messages through art can lead to new perspectives of peace, tranquility or intellectual sharpening. It is enjoyable to bring to life nostalgia, complex emotional meaning and the symphony of our world leading with higher frequency intentions. Constant inspiration and gratitude from connection to my spirituality keep me fulfilled though purpose, alignment and love.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)
My view on blockchain technology are that they are the future for our freedoms, prosperity and human flourishing. NFTs are more than JPGs, computer files, or tokens. It’s a computer science breakthrough comparable to the the birth of the internet. They are keys, doors and windows which open the concepts of decentralization in this abundant information revolution. Our virtual identity exists with social capital, connections in our networks, and the data ownership of your own digital information. NFTs illustrate provenance, authenticity, authorship in a permanent way for artists on a worldwide computer. Written on these public blockchain are digital cave paintings of art history and its unfolding Neo-Renaissance. Blockchain offers opportunities to learn, play, and innovate in novel ways. The new high tech jobs that open up to those with STEAM skills lead to paths for those become cultural warriors and pioneers. Exploring the vehicles through DeSci also create a whole new career fields undiscovered. Lastly, the importance of equal representation through the medium of NFTs is critical to the cultural ethos. It is significant to find diverse voices, be inclusive and build with vision.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/m0niquesullivan
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/m0niquesullivan/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/M0niqueSullivan
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChBnhDH2MVKZbHR0LysiA7g/featured
- Other: The “o” is a zero in my brand by the way :)