Art for Cuba fundraiser opens to Namibian artists

Bellhaus Atelier & Galerie is targeting N$100 000 through an art exhibition and fundraising campaign in Windhoek later this month to help provide medical supplies and solar kits to health centres in Cuba.

Art for Cuba will run from 26 to 30 October, bringing together Namibian artists, musicians and poets to raise funds for the national campaign, Namibians in Solidarity with the People of Cuba.

Bellhaus founder and artistic director Marcii Magson says 14 artists had so far committed 24 artworks, with further submissions expected before the deadline on 22 October.

The exhibition will feature paintings, prints, sculptures, photographs, textiles and ceramics.

Performance art, video and digital works will not be accepted.

“We wanted every artist to be able to give, whatever their circumstances, so artists choose for each work,” Magson says.

Artists can either donate their work, with 80% of the sale proceeds going to the solidarity fund and 20% to Bellhaus, or sell on commission, with 40% going to the fund, 40% to the artist and 20% to the gallery.

Magson says the arrangements were designed to allow artists to contribute while recognising that some depend on selling their work for a living.

“Many Namibian artists make their living from their work, and giving 40% of a sale is still a powerful act of solidarity. Both choices matter,” she says.

The applicable arrangement will be indicated on artwork labels and the exhibition price list. The gallery will also insure artworks while they are in its care.

The programme starts on 26 October with a free opening night, followed by a poetry evening on 28 October and an Art Supper Club on 29 October. The exhibition closes on 30 October with a live music event featuring Namibian artists.

The Art Supper Club will feature a Cuban-inspired meal prepared by chef Siobhan Dammert, served at a shared table among the artworks.

The gallery will be open from 09h00 to 16h00 throughout the exhibition at 18 Bell Street in Windhoek’s Southern Industrial Area. Works will remain on display for all five days and will also be available for online purchase from 26 October.

Magson says members of the public would be able to support the campaign by purchasing artworks, attending events, sharing information about the fundraiser or donating directly through the Bellhaus website.

Businesses can also sponsor the programme or purchase works for their collections, while people unable to attend in person can buy artworks remotely by contacting the gallery.

The money raised will go to Namibians in Solidarity with the People of Cuba, which Magson says would use the funds to purchase medical supplies and solar kits for Cuban health centres.

“The fund’s share of every sale is set aside for the national campaign, Namibians in Solidarity with the People of Cuba,” she says.

“That campaign buys medical supplies and solar kits for Cuban health centres: medicine and light, delivered where they are needed most,” Magson says.

Bellhaus will collect funds on behalf of the campaign and pass on all direct donations in full. The gallery will retain its agreed share of artwork sales to cover the cost of running the exhibition.

Ubuntu Registered Accountants and Auditors will serve as the initiative’s financial partner. Magson says the gallery would publish a report after the exhibition detailing the amount raised, the number of artworks sold, proceeds from donated and shared works, and direct donations.

Bellhaus plans to pay artists their share by 20 November and transfer the fund’s share to the campaign by 30 November.

Magson says the initiative was prompted by Cuba’s fuel and energy crisis, which she says had placed pressure on health services, including rural clinics struggling with electricity and medical supply shortages.

She also points to the historical ties between Namibia and Cuba, including Cuban medical personnel who served in Namibian communities and educational opportunities provided to Namibian students.

“Now Cuba is facing a severe fuel and energy crisis, and its rural health centres are struggling to keep the lights on and the shelves stocked. It is our turn,” Magson says.

The gallery is also creating an Art for Cuba mural on its exterior wall. Magson says the mural would remain after the exhibition, while the online donation channel would stay open.

“Our target is N$100 000,” she says. “But success is not only a number.”

Artists can submit works by emailing [email protected] or delivering them to the gallery by 22 October. Event details and tickets for the poetry night, supper club and closing concert are available at bellhaus.art

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