An initiative of HCLxR · HarlemCLX × XR Agency

“Gateways” Digital IP Portfolio

Thank you for putting your work forward for Design Baltimore: Gateways. Separately from the official competition — and without affecting your entry, your ownership of your submission, or the license you've already granted to BDC under the Competition Rules — we'd like to invite you to explore something with us.

HarlemCLX and XR Agency jointly manage the digital-IP layer of the Gateways program. We're now building a Gateways Digital IP Portfolio that carries selected concepts beyond the competition itself: into provable digital ownership, licensing, and — where it fits — tokenized real-world-asset (RWA) structures that can reach collectors, institutions, and educational partners well outside the contemporary art market.

This is a non-binding starting point for that conversation.

Keep the conversation going → Set up a short call
Jointly managed byXRAGENCY
In partnership withHARLEM CLX — Create. Learn. Xperience.
Beyond the competitionDesign Baltimore: Gateways

Separate from the official competition. Not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the Baltimore Development Corporation. Nothing on this page affects your entry — the official Competition Rules continue to govern it.

Design Baltimore: Gateways
1 · What this is — and isn't

Exploratory only. Nothing changes hands.

This MOU is a conversation starter — not a contract, not a license, and not a change to anything you've already agreed with BDC.

1

Exploratory only

This MOU is exploratory only. It is not a contract, and signing it creates no financial or legal obligation for either party.

2

No rights to your work

It grants HCLxR no license, assignment, option, or exclusive right to your work — nothing changes hands by signing this document.

3

Your competition rights stay intact

It does not modify, replace, or interfere with your rights under the official Design Baltimore: Gateways Competition Rules, or the non-exclusive license you granted to BDC.

4

Step back any time

Either party may step back from this conversation at any time, for any reason, without penalty or further obligation.

2 · What we're proposing to explore together

From competition concept to a licensed digital asset.

Background IP

Your work stays yours

You retain full, sole ownership of your original work, concepts, and any pre-existing intellectual property. Nothing here transfers or licenses that IP to HCLxR.

Digital Cultural Assets

New, separately authored works

If you choose to proceed, HCLxR would work with you to develop new, separately authored digital works from your concept — high-resolution digital editions, immersive/XR interpretations, and tokenized representations — distinct from, and created after, your competition submission.

Digital editionsImmersive / XRTokenized RWA
Portfolio & global representation

Art functioning as commerce

Assets you choose to develop would sit inside the broader Gateways Digital IP Portfolio, which HCLxR intends to represent and license beyond Baltimore — including to institutional, educational, and commercial licensees.

One goal: making artwork usable as licensed content in commercial and financial contexts (for example, a financial institution licensing imagery for transaction-facing products) — art functioning as commerce, not just as a collectible.

Education

A defined share for learning

A defined share of any resulting revenue is directed to an education allocation — rather than only to the commercial parties.

  • Curriculum development
  • A student fellowship
  • Digital-literacy / blockchain education
Indicative value-share · not fixed by this MOU

A starting point for discussion.

For discussion purposes, the framework we've used as a starting point allocates 40% to the originating artist, 35% split between HarlemCLX and XR Agency & Brokers, and 25% to the education allocation.

Indicative only — not fixed by this MOU
Originating artist
The creator(s) whose concept originates the work
40%
HarlemCLX and XR Agency & Brokers
Split between the partners
35%
Education allocation
Curriculum, student fellowship, digital-literacy / blockchain education
25%
Set only in a separate, binding agreement
Any actual split, and every other commercial term, would be set out in a separate, binding agreement that you would review and sign only if you decide to move forward.
40·35·25indicative
Originating artist40%
HarlemCLX + XR Agency & Brokers35%
Education allocation25%
3 · What we're asking of you right now

Nothing binding.

We're asking whether you'd like to keep talking — about your concept specifically, and about what a digital edition of it could look like.

That's the entire ask at this stage.

4 · Next step

Interested? Let's walk through it, concept by concept.

If this is of interest

Reply or countersign

Reply to our email or countersign the MOU, and we'll set up a short call to walk through it concept by concept.

Reply by email → Set up a short call
If it isn't a fit right now

No reply needed

If it isn't a fit right now, no reply is needed — and nothing about your competition entry is affected either way.