The latest Awesome Ottawa award goes to Charles Garfinkle to support a platform enabling artists to receive patronage in chicken wings.

“This project evolved out of an album of songs I composed about wings,” explains Charles, “inspired by my experiences growing up eating wings in Ottawa.”

“As part of my performance, I decided to only accept chicken wings for my music, and so I am building a digital wing economy to enable that possibility for myself and others.”

“In this system,” explains Charles, “any money an artist receives is held in reserve and only released when they upload a receipt verifying a purchase of chicken wings.”

“If they need cash, the system supports them selling their claims on wing-reserved money to anyone who eats wings – typically at a friendly discount. Fans can eat for you!”

“Eventually,” says Charles, “I’ll accommodate other popular food items, allowing any artist to connect with their fans not just over art but over their favourite foods, by literally accepting that food as payment for their work.”

Charles has been sharing his songs in living rooms, at house parties, and at the occasional open mic for over a decade — first while pursuing a PhD in neuroscience, and later while building a software company with friends. He recently moved back home to Ottawa from California, purportedly “to do the wing thing.”