Art Blocks Curated · Project #10
NimBuds
A collection of 400 on-chain, generative cumulonimbus buddies. Created using vanilla JavaScript, each unique NimBud features random wires, colors, eyes, mouths, cloud bodies, and more. Each has their own personality.
About the Project
NimBuds was one of the first 10 projects on Art Blocks and quickly became one of the most recognized generative art collections in the NFT space. Each piece is not an image — it is live JavaScript code minted directly on the Ethereum blockchain, making NimBuds a project that can only exist on-chain.
The clouds symbolize the clouds on which digital art is stored. The wires symbolize the connections between people — collectors, artists, and communities bound together by shared ownership of unique generative works.
The visual evolution of NimBuds was developed collaboratively by Bryan Brinkman and Manny (@heyotetsuo), combining Brinkman's animation background from Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show with generative art techniques.
400
Unique Pieces
1,155+ ETH
Secondary Volume
#10
Art Blocks Project
Rarity Cheatsheet
Timeline
Jan 16, 2021
Minted on Art Blocks
NimBuds launches as Art Blocks Curated Project #10 — one of the first 10 projects on the platform. 400 unique pieces mint out.
Learn more →Mar 27, 2021
Featured on Saturday Night Live
NimBuds appears in SNL's viral "What the Hell is an NFT?" skit — an Eminem parody starring Pete Davidson and Kate McKinnon that introduced NFTs to mainstream audiences.
Apr 2021
ZKM Center for Art and Media
NimBuds featured in the "CryptoArt" exhibition at ZKM | Center for Art and Media in Karlsruhe, Germany — one of the world's leading new media art institutions.
Learn more →Sep 2021
Christie's: Post-War to Present
NimBuds featured in Christie's New York "Post-War to Present: The NFTs" sale, placing generative art alongside blue-chip contemporary works.
Sep 2021
Sotheby's: Art Blocks 19 Works
NimBuds included in Sotheby's London "Art Blocks: 19 Works" auction, cementing Art Blocks as a major force in the art world.
Jan 13, 2023
NimTeens Sequel Launches
NimTeens (Art Blocks Presents #408) drops — 400 generative cumulonimbus teenagers ready for their class photo. A commentary on how fast the NFT ecosystem has grown.
View on site →Jun–Aug 2024
Sotheby's Grails & Digital Art Day
NimBuds appears in multiple Sotheby's sales including the "Grails: Property from an Iconic Digital Art Collection" series and the Digital Art Day Sale.
2025
OpenSea Vault Acquisition
OpenSea acquires NimBuds for their permanent vault collection — institutional recognition of NimBuds as a foundational generative art piece.
Learn more →2025
Community Collabs & Derivatives
A growing ecosystem of community collaborations and derivative works built around the NimBuds universe.
Learn more →Exhibitions & Auctions
ZKM | Center for Art and Media, Karlsruhe · April 2021
CryptoArt
NimBuds featured alongside leading generative artists at ZKM's CryptoArt exhibition — one of the first major museum shows dedicated to NFT and blockchain-based art.
Christie's New York · September 2021
Christie's: Post-War to Present — The NFTs
Generative art placed alongside blue-chip contemporary works in one of the first major Christie's NFT sales.
Sotheby's London · September 2021
Sotheby's: Art Blocks 19 Works
A dedicated Art Blocks auction at Sotheby's London featuring 19 curated generative art pieces.
Sotheby's · 2024
Sotheby's: Grails Collection
Featured across multiple editions of the "Grails: Property from an Iconic Digital Art Collection" sale series.
Sotheby's · August 2024
Sotheby's: Digital Art Day Sale
Included in Sotheby's dedicated Digital Art Day Sale alongside leading digital artists.
Saturday Night Live
In March 2021, Saturday Night Live aired “What the Hell is an NFT?” — a viral Eminem parody featuring Pete Davidson and Kate McKinnon that introduced NFTs to mainstream audiences. NimBuds was featured in the skit, bringing generative art to living rooms across America.
The connection runs deep: Bryan Brinkman worked as an animator at SNL, earning Visual Effects Emmy Awards in 2020 and 2021. His transition from network television to on-chain generative art represents a broader shift in how digital artists create and distribute their work.
Community
OpenSea Vault Acquisition
In 2025, OpenSea acquired NimBuds for their permanent vault collection — institutional recognition of NimBuds as a foundational piece in the history of generative art.
View announcement →Collaborations & Derivatives
The NimBuds universe continues to grow through community collaborations and derivative works, with artists building on the iconic cloud characters in new and creative ways.
See the thread →The Sequel: NimTeens
Art Blocks Presents · January 2023
NimTeens
400 generative cumulonimbus teenagers, ready for their class photo. A follow-up that shows the signature cloud characters aging up — and a commentary on how fast the NFT ecosystem has grown over the past two years.
Series of 400 · On-Chain · ERC-721
