Gray Area has been running art and technology programs in San Francisco for 13 years. We started our Creative Code 12 week immersive education track in 2015, which teaches technology skills through the production of creative work, and has run twice-yearly since. We have had a long running focus on forward looking new models to sustain creative communities. From 2012-2013, Creative Currency was a Research Lab bringing together leading developers and designers with national experts in social finance, local currencies, crowdfunding, sharing platforms, and other leaders of the new economy to envision, prototype, and deploy innovative solutions that re-imagine our systems of exchange from the ground up. Our yearly Gray Area Festival focuses on the role of artists as cultural first responders necessary to address the complex challenges facing our world, and in 2018 covered Distributed Systems, including a large exhibition of artwork built on DWeb as well as speakers including Ruth Catlow, Sam Hart, Rhea Myers, and Primavera De Filippi. We have offered several courses covering blockchain and NFTs for artists in the last year, including Your Friendly Guide to NFTs And Blockchain for Artists (taught by Sarah Friend) and NFT DIY: Mint Your Art! 
