Artist William Quigley and William E. Quigley, Co-founder of WAX, collaborate to combine crypto, contemporary art, and the Pulitzer Prize-winning “The Babe Bows Out” in a series of unforgettable NFTs to immortalize Babe’s legacy
On June 15, 2021, world-renowned artist William Quigley and his partner Seth Lamburn, aka SkrapperPunk, join with the Worldwide Asset eXchange (WAX) to bring the legendary baseball phenom Babe Ruth back to life in the emotion-evoking NFT collection “Skrapper Legends.”
The limited collection features 714 NFT packs that interpret the famed 1948 Pulitzer Prize-winning photo “The Babe Bows Out” through the lens of contemporary art. The official NFT artwork was rendered from a detail of a larger painting entitled “Baseball,” commissioned in 1998 by LA-based sports memorabilia dealer Dave Levin of GFG. The duo struck a deal that saw Quigley remaster the work for $18,000 in trading cards. The result was an 8 x 8 ft. painting now considered a contemporary masterpiece.
Quigley (not to be confused with WAX’s CEO and co-founder, William E. Quigley), born in Philadelphia in 1961, is famed for his unique ability to bring historic figures to life. Having sold out his first show in 1985 (right out of college) alongside the legendary icon Andy Warhol, Quigley has displayed his work in some of the most famous and prestigious art galleries in the world — including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Art Basel, the Miro Foundation, MOCA LA, Manny Silverman Gallery, Karl Hutter Fine Art, Keyes Gallery, AB NY Gallery, and Art Chicago.
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His works have been appraised for millions of dollars and are owned by superstar athletes, celebrities, and politicians. Some collectors have been supporting Quigley’s art for years – like oncologist Dr. Ken and son Karl Tokita, retired CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald Phil Marber, Henry S. McNeil, Giel and Diane Milner (owning over 35 works), Pete Francis, of the band Dispatch, Shaquille O’Neal, Yandex founder John and Johanna Boynton, philanthropist Gregory Brown, and owner of Electric Lady Studios Keith Stoltz (over 15 works). In 2015, entrepreneur Alexander Zweig purchased 13 works off Instagram in a single day through the introduction of collectors Senter Johnson and Brian Sullivan, who are now producing a documentary on the artist’s illustrious career.
In 2013, Quigley’s unique take on his 2006 portrait of Donald Trump sold for $70,000 to President Trump and is now valued at more than $1.3 million. Another contemporary masterpiece, based on a 1973 Avengers Marvel comic book cover, was created for actor Robert Downy Jr. and was commissioned for $50,000 by fellow star Chris Evans (recently valued at just shy of $1 million). Currently, Quigley is painting a $100,000 commission of Jimi Hendrix for Electric Lady Studio in NYC.
In the Skrapper Legends NFT series, collectors will have the opportunity to receive one (1) of three (3) bold, animated renditions of the original, heart-warming photo. The cards are designed with Quigley’s contemporary flair, while staying true to the integrity of the original art.
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Each pack contains a single (1) NFT collectible and retails for $100. All NFTs on the WAX platform are pre-minted, allowing collectors to open packs at their own pace.
All collectors are guaranteed equal odds of receiving a low mint, regardless of time opened. Once opened, NFTs can be kept safe in the WAX Cloud Wallet, traded with friends, or resold on the secondary marketplace.
“WAX is proud to partner with William Quigley to further celebrate and solidify Babe Ruth’s legacy,” said William E. Quigley, Co-Founder of WAX. “By immortalizing this unforgettable moment in sports history, it brings together three powerhouses that are so relevant to today — crypto, art, and sports for an unforgettable NFT experience.”
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