Bitcoin Arts Park.
A dedicated cultural footprint by Bitcoin for the Arts on the floor of the Midwest Bitcoin Summit. A featured screening of Dirty Coin, two days of Secondary Stage performances by Ainsley Costello and other working artists, a peer-to-peer Lightning silent auction, live podcast tapings, and a wallet demo. Working artists paid in Bitcoin, in front of the audience that already understands sound money.
Counting down to Bitcoin Arts Park
September 23–24, 2026 · Columbus, Ohio
The Midwest Bitcoin Summit runs both days at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Bitcoin Arts Park is BFTA\u2019s dedicated 30 ft cultural footprint on the Expo Hall floor inside the Summit.
Visit the Midwest Bitcoin Summit →Bringing the culture in.
Bitcoin conferences have grown into serious institutions. What has been quietly missing alongside them is a curatorial counterpart \u2014 a serious cultural room, with serious working artists, treated as central to the programming rather than peripheral to it. Bitcoin Arts Park is that room, and Columbus is where Bitcoin for the Arts is building it.
Bitcoin Arts Park is a dedicated 30 ft cultural footprint on the floor of the Midwest Bitcoin Summit, programmed end-to-end by BFTA. A film cinema anchored by a featured screening of Dirty Coin. Two days of Secondary Stage performances led by Ainsley Costello and additional working artists. A peer-to-peer Lightning silent auction on the Gallery wall. A Living Room with a Lightning wallet activation. Live tapings of Share Your Bitcoin Journey recorded on-site.
The audience is the reason. The room at the Midwest Summit is a crowd of Bitcoiners who already understand sound money \u2014 and who are, by every definition, the future patron base for the next generation of working artists. Bringing real artists into that room, paid in Bitcoin, supported by infrastructure that lets the audience zap them in real time, is exactly the kind of moment our 501(c)(3) was built to create.
Two days at Bitcoin Arts Park.
Nine programming threads run across the two days of the summit. Most happen in parallel inside the BFTA Bitcoin Arts Park footprint and on the adjacent Secondary Stage. All of it is built to put working artists in front of a Bitcoin audience that can support them directly.
Dirty Coin — Featured Screening
A featured screening of Dirty Coin, the most-screened Bitcoin documentary in the world, presented inside the BFTA Bitcoin Arts Park across the two days of the Summit.
BFTA Film Cinema
A curated cinema running independent Bitcoin-aligned films across both days. Silent-disco wireless headphones, no audio bleed into the hall. Theater seating and a programmed schedule.
Secondary Stage Performances
Two days of lunch-hour live performances on the Summit’s Secondary Stage, anchored by Ainsley Costello and additional working artists. Professional sound and full-quality recordings captured for post-event distribution.
Peer-to-Peer Lightning Silent Auction
A gallery wall of donated artworks running a live Lightning silent auction. Bidders scan a QR, bid in sats, and the leaderboard updates in real time. Bitcoin-native and gallery-grade.
Living Room & Lightning Wallet Demo
The brand and conversation hub of Bitcoin Arts Park. Lounge seating, a self-serve Lightning wallet demo station, and an IndeeHub activation. Where the room gathers between performances.
Share Your Bitcoin Journey — Live Tapings
Live on-site podcast tapings of BFTA’s flagship show, with artists, builders, and patrons recorded across both days. Multiple episodes captured for distribution.
On-Camera Artist Stories
A dedicated on-camera production capturing first-person Artist Stories at the booth. Distributed through BFTA’s newsletter, Substack, and Nostr post-event.
BFTA Merchandise & Donation Counter
A front counter for BFTA merchandise, artist marketplace items, and Lightning-native donations. Tap-to-pay enabled. Funds support the BFTA artist grants program.
Sponsorship tiers.
Nine tiers. Pick the one that fits your organization. Sponsorships are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law \u2014 Bitcoin for the Arts, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit, EIN 41-2642260. Tailored sponsorships above the Presenting tier are also welcome.
Presenting Sponsor
- Co-branded as "Bitcoin Arts Park, presented by [Sponsor]"
- Lead-billing logo on the 30 ft overhead banner spanning the full BFTA footprint
- Prominent logo across all three zones — the Cinema, the Living Room, and the Gallery wall
- Acknowledgment at every Secondary Stage performance and at each on-site podcast taping
- One named-performance sponsorship included ($2,500 value)
- First mention in every BFTA newsletter from announcement through year-end
- Sponsor branding throughout the post-event recap video
- Permanent listing on BFTA Sponsors page and in the 2026 transparency report
- Tax-deductible to the full extent of the law
Cinema Sponsor
- The BFTA Film Cinema takes the sponsor’s name — "The [Sponsor] Cinema"
- Logo on cinema entrance signage, the projection wall header, and every silent-disco headphone placard
- Named credit before each film screening across both days
- Two named-performance sponsorships included
- Featured in BFTA newsletter and post-event recap
- Permanent listing on BFTA Sponsors page
- Tax-deductible
Lightning Lounge Sponsor
- The Living Room Lightning demo zone takes the sponsor’s name — "The [Sponsor] Lightning Lounge"
- On-site staffed Lightning wallet activation in the Living Room, branded throughout
- Lightning QR codes on every silent auction piece routed through the sponsor’s wallet (every zap demos their product)
- Sponsor logo on every Lightning QR placard and in the printed program
- 2-minute demo slot during a Secondary Stage break
- Featured in BFTA newsletter and post-event recap
- Permanent listing on BFTA Sponsors page
- Tax-deductible
Programming Sponsor
- Named credit on the Secondary Stage program — "Performances presented by [Sponsor]"
- Named credit in the live podcast taping intro/outro — "This live taping of Share Your Bitcoin Journey is presented by [Sponsor]"
- Sponsor logo on the printed Bitcoin Arts Park program and on-stage signage during performances
- One named-performance sponsorship included
- Featured in BFTA newsletter and post-event recap
- Permanent listing on BFTA Sponsors page
- Tax-deductible
The Storyteller Sponsor
- Sponsor the Bitcoin Arts Park children’s book reading of Lindey Magee’s Bitcoin: A Treasure to HODL, presented in partnership with Short North Stage and Columbus-area homeschool families
- Every attending child receives an autographed copy of the book, a BFTA welcome kit, and a starter Bitcoin wallet preloaded with sats, the first Bitcoin transaction of their lives, given in the sponsor’s name
- Live thank-you from the stage at the beginning of the reading
- Sponsor name and logo on a bookplate sticker inside every book given to a child
- Dedicated signage at the reading area at Bitcoin Arts Park
- Featured across the BFTA newsletter, Substack, X, LinkedIn, Nostr, and Facebook channels leading into and out of the event
- Featured in the produced post-event recap that runs through year-end
- Written acknowledgment in BFTA’s year-end donor communications and 2026 annual report
- Permanent listing on BFTA Sponsors page
- Tax-deductible
Sponsor a Performance
- Named program credit — "[Artist] presented by [Sponsor]"
- Personal thank-you from the artist during their set introduction
- Logo on the artist’s program card and on-stage signage during their performance
- Sponsor name in post-event social posts about that artist
- Listing on BFTA Sponsors page
- Tax-deductible
Silent Auction Underwriter
- The peer-to-peer Lightning silent auction is named — "The [Sponsor] Silent Auction"
- Live closing moment on stage with sponsor named
- Sponsor logo on every auction QR placard and on the Gallery wall header
- Proceeds support a Bitcoin micro-grant for a featured BFTA artist in the sponsor’s name
- Listing on BFTA Sponsors page
- Tax-deductible
Featured Artist Stipend
- Named credit on the featured artist’s program card — "[Artist], stipend supported by [Sponsor]"
- Listing in event program and on BFTA Sponsors page
- Tax-deductible
Friend of Bitcoin Arts Park
- Logo on a shared "Made possible by" wall card inside the footprint
- Mention in BFTA newsletter and post-event recap
- Listing on BFTA Sponsors page
- Tax-deductible
Our Midwest fundraising target is $80,000+ \u2014 the level that lets us build Bitcoin Arts Park to professional production standards, pay the working artists like the professionals they are, and turn the weekend into a body of evergreen content for the BFTA community.
In-kind contributions.
Cash isn’t the only way to support the event. Goods and services contributed in-kind are tax-deductible at fair market value, and each donor is publicly named. Below are the categories where in-kind support matters most.
Booth construction & on-site production staff
Modular booth build labor, install, and dismantle. On-site production crew for A/V setup and run-of-show (~$3,000–$6,000 value).
A/V production support
Projection, large-screen displays, silent-disco wireless headphones, monitors, and media players for the BFTA Film Cinema and Lightning wallet demo (~$2,000–$5,000 value).
Furniture & gallery lighting
Lounge seating, theater benches, counter, plinths, and track or pin lighting for the Gallery wall and Living Room zones of Bitcoin Arts Park (~$1,500–$3,500 value).
Photography & videography
On-site coverage of the booth, performances, and live podcast tapings, plus an edited recap reel for downstream use (~$3,000–$5,000 value).
Lightning hardware & wallet demos
Tap-to-pay terminals, NFC cards, hardware wallets, and demo devices for the BFTA Living Room and donation counter. A natural fit for any Lightning or hardware vendor (~$1,000–$3,000 value).
Backline gear for live performances
Instruments, amps, drum kit, keyboard for Ainsley Costello and the Secondary Stage performers (~$1,500–$3,000 value).
Catering & beverage
Meals or coffee for artists, crew, and BFTA volunteers during install and show days (~$2,000–$5,000 value).
Travel & lodging for performing artists
Hotel rooms or flights for performing artists and the BFTA team coming to Columbus (~$1,500–$5,000 value).
Print & signage
Booth back-wall graphics, the 30 ft overhead banner, gallery wall cards, programs, and donation-counter signage (~$500–$2,000 value).
Donated artwork for the Lightning silent auction
Artists donating original work to the BFTA peer-to-peer Lightning silent auction on the Gallery wall. Proceeds (in whole or in part, by the artist’s preference) support BFTA’s artist grants program. Each donor publicly named.
Be in the room. Make it happen.
Two days, nine programming threads, working artists from across the country in one room, and a small core team holding it all together. If you can give time during load-in (Tuesday, Sept 22), the show days (Wednesday and Thursday, Sept 23 and 24), load-out (Thursday evening, Sept 24), or pre-event remote help, sign up on our dedicated Midwest volunteer page.
Bitcoin Arts Park.
Bitcoin Arts Park is a dedicated 30 ft cultural footprint on the Expo Hall floor of the Midwest Bitcoin Summit, programmed end-to-end by Bitcoin for the Arts. The footprint is organized as three connected zones \u2014 a film cinema, a Living Room with Lightning wallet demo and merchandise counter, and a Gallery wall with peer-to-peer Lightning silent auction \u2014 with access to the adjacent Secondary Stage for two days of programmed live performances.
A few quick answers.
What is BFTA’s role at the Midwest Bitcoin Summit?
Bitcoin for the Arts programs its own dedicated cultural footprint, Bitcoin Arts Park, on the Expo Hall floor at the Midwest Bitcoin Summit. The Midwest Summit leadership team has given BFTA a 30 ft footprint where we program a film cinema, a Lightning silent auction, the Living Room and wallet demo, the merchandise and donation counter, and access to the Secondary Stage for two days of live performances.
Is BFTA co-curating the visual art gallery?
No. The visual art gallery at the Midwest Bitcoin Summit will go forward under the leadership of curator Kyle Knight and is focused on visual art. BFTA programs Bitcoin Arts Park separately on the floor. We support the gallery and wish it every success.
Can a single sponsor combine tiers?
Yes. A sponsor can take a tier and also sponsor a named performance on the same agreement. Tiers stack, and the recognition for each is delivered as described.
Are sponsorships tax-deductible?
Yes. Bitcoin for the Arts, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit, EIN 41-2642260. Sponsorships are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law.
How does the Lightning silent auction work?
Artists donate original works to the Gallery wall of Bitcoin Arts Park. Each piece carries a QR code; bidders scan, bid in sats, and the leaderboard updates in real time. Proceeds (in whole or in part, by the artist’s preference) support BFTA’s artist grants program.
When are artist and sponsor announcements going public?
Artists and sponsors are named publicly only after each is confirmed in writing. Subscribers to the BFTA newsletter are first to hear as pieces lock in.
How do I get in touch?
Email us at info@bitcoinforthearts.org. Warm introductions are prioritized over cold outreach.
Be in the room when the lineup locks.
Subscribers to the BFTA newsletter are the first to hear as artists and sponsors confirm. Get on the list to follow what we’re building in Columbus.