Joe Mangrum aka Sandman is a New York-based installation and multiple-medium artist known for his large-scale sand paintings, which he spontaneously creates by pouring colored sand into multiple patterns. He has created hundreds of these paintings in public spaces in NYC. and around the world. He has also created permanent sand paintings on canvas and carved wood, and his technique with sand employs a graffiti-like parallel of close-to-the-ground sharp lines to a wide “spray” from higher up of diffused effects in alternating layers.

Mangrum began minting digital certificates of authenticity in 2017 on Verisart for his permanent works. His fascination with NFT’s grew in spring 2021 as a way to create a bridge between one of the most ancient forms of art (sand painting) with the latest in blockchain technology. He has extensively researched creating NFTs for tethering of physical paintings to hold digitized art provenance using NFT and artist royalties. His interest has led to curating this NFT Art Show at Art Society to bring awareness and opportunities to the artists of Hudson Valley.