Blockchain-based art security registry Imprint and the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts joined forces to fight fraud in the Native American art market by supplying 800 Native American artists with permanently certified Imprint digital title to their artwork.
Imprint gives artists and galleries with permanent digital titles that allow artwork to be officially registered, creating a digital certificate of authenticity stored on a secure blockchain database.
When a piece is sold, the Imprint title and certificate transfer to the buyer with transaction information, such as date, location, and valuation, created and stored instantaneously on chain. This leads to a secure and infinite provenance that can be traced back to the creation of the piece and its initial sale.
"When Imprint approached us to launch their blockchain-based art security registry with SWAIA artists, we immediately recognized the opportunity as one that will help combat theft and counterfeit within the Native American art world," said SWAIA Executive Director Kimberly Peone.
Ruth-Ann Thorn, co-founder of Imprint, described the issue of fraud and exploitation committed against Native American culture as "age-old."
"By giving artists and their representatives a simple, easy-to-use digital tool, we hope to eliminate counterfeit work purporting to be from Native American artists, which will make their authentic work that much more valuable," Thorn said.
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