People wait for the start of "Venezuela Aid Live" concert, organized by British billionaire Richard Branson to raise money for the Venezuelan relief effort at Tienditas International Bridge in Cucuta, Colombia, on Feb. 22, 2019.

The concert will take place on the Venezuelan side of the Tienditas Bridge; Richard Branson’s Venezuela Aid Live will be held at the same time on the other side.

Venezuelan cultural officials say that 150 artists will perform at the “Hands Off Venezuela” concert slated to start later today (Feb. 22) and continue through the weekend on the Venezuelan side of the Tienditas Bridge which connects the country with Colombia. Richard Branson’s Venezuela Aid Live will be held at the same time on the other side of the bridge.

The head of Venezuela’s Casa del Artista Foundation, Roberto Messutti -- responsible for organizing the Hands Off Venezuela event -- told local press that the artists scheduled to perform over the three days of the concert will perform diverse musical styles including salsa, reggaeton and traditional Venezuelan country music.

Artists reportedly signed up to perform include the group ‘Dame Pa’ Matala’, Omar Acedo, Winston Vallenilla, Armando Martínez, Cristóbal Jiménez and Roberto Messuti.

Interviewed by Colombia’s Blu Radio, Messuti had choice words for artists participating in the rival Venezuela Aid Live event, whose goal is to get humanitarian aid into Venezuela.

Messutti reportedly called popular Venezuelan reggaeton duo Chino y Nacho “traitors, who to keep an American visa would sing against peace.”

He also criticized Venezuelan-Argentine singer-songwriter Ricardo Montaner and Spanish pop icon Miguel Bosé for participating in the concert on the Colombian side of the border.

Messutti said that Hands Off Venezuela was a concert “for peace and solidarity of the [Venezuelan] people,” and described Venezuela Aid Live as “the concert for hate and war.” Thirty-two artists are slated to participate in Venezuela Aid Live, for which, according to media photos, a large crowd had already gathered in Friday morning.</s>ISLAMABAD- Rawalpindi Arts Council (RAC) will hold Artists’ Convention on Thursday on the special directions of Minister for Information & Culture Department Fayyazul Hassan Chohan at 3 pm in the auditorium of this Council.

The artists in the field of Film, TV, Radio, Theatre, Music, Dance, Painting, Calligraphy, Story Writing and Music will participate in the convention.

Director RAC Waqar Ahmed and other will brief about Artists Health Insurance Scheme and Voice of Punjab at the occasion.</s>Main Stage Creative Community Center has put out a call for artists for Meet the Makers Spring Show and Sale on June 7 and 8. The two-day show and sale will feature a broad mix of art mediums and crafts. Applications are due Feb. 28.</s>New York City is searching for four talented artists to help it battle health disparities and ageism, tackle climate change and celebrate its history.

They will be part of the Public Artists in Residence program, which places artists in city agencies for a year to conduct research and then develop a project to assist in its mission.

“Since launching PAIR, we’ve watched artists working across disciplines develop new ways to address old problems,” city Cultural Affairs Commissioner Tom Finkelpearl said in a statement.

“With these four new Public Artist in Residency positions, we’re inviting artists to work alongside city workers and constituents…and collaborate on creative, innovative approaches to public service,” he added.

Artists have until Feb. 24 to make a detailed proposal on how they would work with one of the agencies. Recipients will receive $40,000 as both a fee and funding for their projects.

Previous artists include Tania Bruguera, who worked with the Office of Immigrant Affairs to create better connections and trust between city government and the immigrant community. Her “Cycle News” project created a fact sheet of city services for immigrants that was distributed via bicycle around the Corona, Queens, neighborhood by Mujeres en Movimiento, a group of local artists and activists.

Ebony Golden, an artist and cultural consultant, was paired with the Mayor’s Office to End Gender Based and Domestic Violence where she trained staff on different ways to work with victims.

“We talked about using more creative strategies to address a hard issue,” she said, regarding intimate partner violence. “You don’t want people to feel like every time this comes up it’s going to be a conversation that tears them down. We want them to be hopeful.”

Since the program started in 2015, it has placed 10 artists and collectives into nine residencies at city agencies.

This year’s opportunities include residencies at the Department for the Aging, Department of Health, Department of Records, and Mayor’s Office of Sustainability.

Pauline Toole, commissioner for the Department of Records, said she is interested in seeing how an artist might approach the large and diverse collection of historic maps, documents and other materials in the city’s archives.

She pointed to the 17th century Dutch collections, fragile documents that provide a deep look into life in what was then known as New Amsterdam.

“We have been talking about engaging more New Yorkers and helping them know what we have,” said Toole. “I think an artist could go through the records, learn the story and determine how to conceptualize that …these are our earliest records and they are foundational to the city of New York.”

For more information on the PAIR program and how to apply, go to nyc.gov/culture.</s>Local theater company CounterPulse has been a strong supporter of Tenderloin artists, letting neighbors borrow their work for free through an art lending library.Now, the group is expanding into exhibiting artists' work, with new displays in the windows of 350 Jones St. showcasing pieces created by people in the neighborhood. (The building itself is home to the Homeless Storage Facility, a nonprofit that provides space for houseless neighbors to store their clothes and other non-perishable items.)Each month, the art in the window displays will change to reflect a different theme. The February display is "Black Artists Matter," celebrating African-American artists as part of Black History Month. For March, the display will honor Women's History Month with "Women Artists of the Tenderloin."All of the artists on view this month are clients of nearby nonprofit Hospitality House . CounterPulse neighborhood arts manager Rick Darnell previously worked at Hospitality House for a decade, so the two organizations collaborate on events and programming quite a bit, he said.Two of the Hospitality House artists featured this month, Lord Frederick and Charles Blackwell, are both in their sixties and close to legally blind, Darnell said. Nonetheless, they're able to produce bright, colorful pieces and silhouettes that he considers "really remarkable."The ceramics on display are by Kimberly Trice, a woman also living in Hospitality House.Since moving to the Tenderloin in 2016, CounterPulse has made numerous efforts to promote the neighborhood arts community. The theater company hosts monthly themed block parties outside its building on the corner of Turk and Taylor streets, featuring hands-on workshops led by local artists.Last year, the group received additional funding from fees paid by local developer Group i , which is behind the nearby mixed-use development at the corner of Turk and Market streets.It used the money to install a mural across the street from Hospitality House, and conduct a neighborhood-wide arts survey to understand what the community is seeking in its art installations.Based on the survey results, Darnell is transitioning away from "community arts" to focus more closely on "neighborhood arts," he said. "People want uplifting art that is empowering and reflective of the community."Along with other neighborhood art groups, CounterPulse has helped develop the Tenderloin Arts Working Group (TAWG), which is dedicated to connecting neighborhood residents with art. TAWG will be fully curating the April window displays at 350 Jones, Darnell said.CounterPulse always pays the artists participating in the neighborhood arts program a stipend, Darnell said. While much of the program's funding dried up towards the end of 2018, it got some help last week from the Haas Fund , which donated $45,000 to continue its programming. Local arts supply store Blick Arts is also donating gift cards to cover the costs of artists' supplies.Thanks to that assistance, the program has a full calendar ahead for the spring and summer:"The Tenderloin is coming into its own, and has this whole thing about life as art to share," Darnell said.Anyone interested in having their work displayed, or collaborating with CounterPulse on block parties or other programming, is encouraged to contact Darnell directly at rick@counterpulse.org.</s>The inaugural KAABOO Cayman is now in the books and local artists say the exposure they received has inspired them to continue to build the local art scene.

 On Saturday (16 February) Cayman 27 caught up with some of the artists showcasing their work at the event.

 The Cayman Islands is known for many things from food to financial services and having a vibrant art scene is important to the social fabric here.

 KAABOO Cayman gave local artists a chance to show off the many talents resident here.

“I got to connect and identify with individuals and its something you can’t get on Instagram and Facebook,” said local artist Dubadah Boldeau sharing a sentiment most of the Cayman’s artists had after showcasing their work at KAABOO Cayman on the weekend.

“People are interested, people question, people want to know. In particular, I have this feature it is called virtue and vice- the story of us. It seems to be an ongoing topic in more mediums,” said Caymanian artist Gordon Solomon.

He said showing artwork at the international event can help put local artists on the map, a view shared by Rasitha Sanjeewa.

“We need to promote our art internationally. This is going all over the world. I really like. It helps Cayman. We as local artists can show the showcase,” said Mr. Sanjeewa.

There were also those busy creating their works of art.

“There is an art gallery. They are just encouraging local artists and thats very good in Cayman,” said artist Shilpa Tagalpallewar Gampawar.

The artists said they are looking forward to returning to the festival site next year.

KAABOO Cayman has been hailed as a success by many in the community and already the 2020 edition is generating interest.

 On Thursday (21 February) patrons tried to get their early bird tickets.

KAABOO partner and chief brand manager Jason Felts said there were congestion issues in connectivity to their payment processor due to the overwhelming traffic.

 In a statement to Cayman 27 on Friday (22 February,) Mr. Felts said, “As a result of the influx of transactions, this also created an overload with local banks and triggered declines for their customers. Over the last 24 hours, our team have been working tirelessly to resolve and refund any duplicate transactions. Rest assured this is top priority for our partners and our team.”

He said 2020 pass sales will resume once the issue, which was started Thursday, is resolved.</s>Ava Elementary School 2nd Grade Artists of the Month for January are (Left to Right): Brody Nelson, Chloe Loftin, Peyton Johnston, Sophia Burch, Macy Russell, Tripp Caudill, Urijah Henry, and Blake Niesen.

Ava Elementary School 2nd Grade Artists of the Month for January are (Left to Right): Brody Nelson, Chloe Loftin, Peyton Johnston, Sophia Burch, Macy Russell, Tripp Caudill, Urijah Henry, and Blake Niesen.

The Ava Elementary School 3rd Grade Artists of the Month for December are (Left to Right): Talon Harvill, Kota Jones, Brennan Wick, Aeris Sims, Wyatt Preston, and Allison Williams.</s>MantecaHTX, a new online directory of Houston's Latinx artists, launched on Thursday as part of the nonprofit, Nuestra Palabra's, Cultural Acceleration Program.

Latinx artists from various disciplines can create profiles on the site to better promote their work and get advanced notice of upcoming arts events and opportunities, according to a statement from the project's leading team.

RELATED: Houston celebrates the 20th anniversary of an iconic Latino movement

"My vision is to survey and showcase a concise selection of artworks from emerging Latinx artists in order to demonstrate the diversity of heritage and cultural influence inherent in the thriving creative community active in Houston," said Theresa Escobedo, co-founder of MantecaHTX and curator of the Union and Main Street Projects in the city.

RELATED: New bookstore focuses on Latino art and literature

The site, funded in part by the Houston Arts Alliance, currently features 11 literary artists, seven performing artists and 63 visual arts from across the city.

Directory leaders plan to expand the project's reach by partnering with other cities down the line.

"This is what we have always been about," said Tony Diaz, Nuestra Palabra founder."The entire nation will soon think of Houston as the leader in delivering and supporting our community's art."</s>Museums Northumberland will be showcasing work by talented artists from across the north east as part of its new exhibition at Woodhorn Museum, Into the Woods.

Following an open call that saw more than 280 artworks submitted by 130 artists, work has now been selected for display in the new exhibition, which celebrates trees, woodlands and forests – past, present and future.

Rowan Brown, chief executive of Museums Northumberland, said: “Into the Woods is our second open art exhibition, building on the fantastic success of last year’s Open Ocean exhibition.

“This approach offers regional artists, whether amateur or professional, a fantastic opportunity to display and sell their work, and demonstrates Museums Northumberland’s commitment to serving our community and giving the region’s cultural practitioners a platform to reach new audiences and showcase their talents.

“I’m extremely grateful to our principal funders, Northumberland County Council and Arts Council England, and to all the artists who applied to exhibit with us this year.

“It promises to be an inspirational and thought-provoking show.”

Into the Woods and the Coal Forest Grow season run until Monday, April 22.</s>For eight years, PledgeMusic was a success story: A direct-to-fan platform where artists worked directly with their audiences to fund their albums, tours and all stripes of merchandise, with fans able to purchase everything from custom guitar picks to private concerts.

Yet last June, Variety broke the news that the company is struggling to pay artists, and its problems have snowballed in recent weeks, with hundreds if not more artists unpaid. The company is in triage mode: Founder Benji Rogers, who left the company in 2016, returned on a temporary, unpaid basis last month in an effort to stabilize the situation. While his return was greeted with relief by many in the artist community, the company advised all artists to suspend their campaigns shortly after his arrival (many already had). Beyond the recommendation to suspend artist campaigns, the company has not commented on its recent challenges beyond a statement late in January, in which it said, “It is our expectation that payments will be brought current within the next 90 days.”

However, as the figures below demonstrate — which artists have shared, showing how much money they are owed by PledgeMusic — the situation has left artists in a dire situation. One artist’s manager said, “He is currently borrowing money from friends and family to stay afloat. This sh– is real.”

Artists from Queensryche to Blacktop Mojo have posted apologies on social media to their fans for PledgeMusic-related issues; all of the figures below except for Bernie Torme’s were provided directly to Variety from the artist or their representative. This list is not comprehensive or complete; these are artists Variety happened to reach out to, and several others declined to reveal figures or comment. A rep for PledgeMusic had no comment when contacted by Variety on Friday.

Bernie Torme: The guitarist is currently in intensive care suffering from virulent pneumonia; a statement on his social media accounts reads: “Bernie remains in intensive care and asked for the following statement to be released: PledgeMusic owe Bernie Torme almost £16,000 which was due last December on completion of his recent ‘Shadowland’ Pledgemusic campaign.”

Fastball: $11,130.75 (“Keep in mind they had to pay for all the CD’s, vinyl and T-shirts for the fans who pledged money,” their manager Ron Stone tells Variety. “That was more than $10,000 in costs.”)

Jesus Jones: “more than $5k, less than 10,” says rep Iain

Seth Walker: “We’re owed $19,157, which is after Pledge’s 15%. In total, we raised $23,538. Additionally, we’re on the hook for $2,100 in shipping charges that Pledge collected but never paid out to their fulfillment company Bandwear.”

While Melissa Otero is not in as dire a situation financially as some of the other artists, she had the following to say: “My issue with Pledge isn’t that they still owe me money, per-se — I cancelled my campaign 20 days before its deadline. However, the issue is the following: 1. They launched my campaign in December well after they knew they had problems with payments; 2. I lost a lot of fans because of this. They left my newsletter and/or haven’t return to pledge over at my GoFundMe account which to me means they may not trust me or the platforms I use; 3. The total I had in pledges was $800, almost the full amount for my producer to be paid and lost all of that. It may not seem like much but for any project, every little bit counts. I believe that this is important because they were still launching campaigns and accepting money from people well into their financial woes and I believe other artists achieved 100% of their goals and haven’t gotten paid.”

L7 declined to provide Variety with a figure they are owed, but they did make the following statement via their attorney, Joseph J. Madonia:

“L7 is still owed a major amount of their Campaign funds by Pledge Music. They’re unable to complete and fulfill the Campaign without it. By law, Pledge is to keep all of this money in trust and on account for L7, and in separate accounts for each artist. We’ve issued a formal demand to Pledge Music for an accounting and the release of all monies due L7, so far with no reply. We still expect Pledge to follow through on their legal and ethical obligations to both L7 and the fans, and to stop evading the question on everyone’s mind, still unanswered in their spin and many public statements, ‘Where did the money go?’”

At press time, reps for PledgeMusic had not responded to Variety’s request for comment.
In response to the concert, Nicolás Maduro announces a rival concert on the Venezuelan side of the border, and state-owned Venezolana de Televisión reports 150 artists will participate, but no artists are signed.