WELCOME TO LESNYC
A collection of digital artworks commemorating the history and culture of New York City’s Lower East Side by Nuyorican digital artist, Steve Hernandez. Each piece from the LESNYC Collection is a one of a kind digital asset (non-fungible token) minted on the Ethereum Blockchain and permanently stored on Arweave via the ArDrive application.
About
LESNYC booth in action during the annual Lower East Side Pickle Day Festival
LESNYC is a collection of digital artworks commemorating the everyday life, culture and history of New York City’s Lower East Side. Created by Nuyorican artist Steve Hernandez, each piece of digital art from the LESNYC Collection is minted as a unique digital asset or non-fungible token on the Ethereum Blockchain. The source art for the NFT is permanently stored on Arweave via the ArDrive application.
Growing up in LES during the 80’s Steve was inspired by the many cultures of the neighborhood as well as art, sports, music and technology. After using an original Apple Macintosh computer in the 4th grade he later begged his parents for one of his own. Even back then Mac’s were super expensive so his folks got him a Commodore 64 instead and then an Emerson 8300SX PC months later. His journey into digital art began when he started creating pixel art using a graphics program called Deluxe Paint Animation. Steve would later go on to attend the School of Visual Arts, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Computer Art.
Over the years Steve has worked with these top brands on a variety of creative projects including online/mobile games, websites, on-air promos, print, outdoor/retail displays and more!
Frequently Asked Questions
What does LESNYC stand for and what's the purpose of the collection?
Lower East Side New York City is a historic, multicultural, working-class neighborhood located in the southeastern part of Manhattan. Over the past 25 years the Lower East Side has experienced significant gentrification & cultural displacement. Being born & raised in the Lower East Side I created LESNYC as an outlet for me to not only share but also preserve the neighborhood's history and culture through my digital art.
What is a NFT?
A non-fungible token (NFT) is a unique digital asset/collectible that represents ownership of an item including works of art, music, real estate and more. NFTs are securely recorded on a blockchain which ensures the authenticity and ownership of that asset.
What is web3?
From 1990 to 2004 the early version of the internet mainly consisted of static websites users would go to in order to find information more easily.. this time period of the read-only internet is better known as web1. Then around the mid 2000's the internet evolved into a read-write platform as social media sites like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter allowed users to interact and upload content to share with other users thus ushering in the current version of the internet we use today called web2. Web3 is a commonly used term in the crypto space to describe the next generation of the internet in which users can claim ownership of digital assets that are verified and authenticated through the use of decentralized blockchain technology.. basically web3 will be read-write-own.
What is a MetaMask crypto wallet and how do I set one up?
Which blockchain is the LESNYC Collection on?
LESNYC NFTs are minted on the Ethereum blockchain via ERC-721 or 1155 smart contracts. Also, using the ArDrive application, the art is permanently stored on Arweave - a decentralized data storage protocol.
How do I purchase a LESNYC NFT?
LESNYC NFTs can be purchased at: opensea.io/collection/lesnyc
To buy a LESNYC NFT you will first need to buy some Ethereum from a cryptocurrency exchange like Coinbase or Gemini. Next, transfer the ETH to a non-custodial crypto wallet like MetaMask. Finally connect your MetaMask crypto wallet to the LESNYC collection on OpenSea to purchase an NFT.
How many editions for each NFT?
Depending on the art - 1/1, 5/5, 10/10 & 20/20
How will I know when the next drop is coming?
Announcements regarding future drops will be made via Twitter.
Is there any utility for owning a LESNYC NFT?
The art is the utility.
Is there a Discord?
There is no LESNYC Discord at this time.
LES BORN & RAISED DIGITAL ARTIST
MINTED ON ETHEREUM (ERC-721 & 1155)
