Dear Artists, As this is my first newsletter to our amazing artists involved in RICARTS, I want to say it is an honour to be elected and to help steer this incredible facility with Annie Badger (Secretary) and Barbara Wilson (Treasurer) back into a thriving, peaceful, and holistic place of creativity and peace. Our aim will be to return this unique place into a community-based group again. My Vision My vision is to make every member feel safe, supported, and inspired to create art. I propose extending operating hours to 5 hours a day, as 3 hours for each session is insufficient for setup, work, and cleanup. An art group leader can handle opening and closing without a committee member's presence and will secure the premises at closing time. We also expect two members to be present during opening and closing for safety reasons. Community Values Our committee will not tolerate bullying or aggressive behaviour. These issues will be addressed promptly. The committee does not handle daily tasks like cleaning or taking out rubbish bins, nor do we track art stock levels alone. Maintaining this community facility requires everyone's help year-round. We will reintroduce weekend working bees, announced via email with at least 2 weeks’ notice. Contribute whenever you can. We will provide a sausage sizzle, cold drinks, and fun. Welcome to 2025 Welcome to 2025 at RICARTS. The Feedback forms remain available for all financial members who have not yet submitted one. Your input helps us understand what you value. Remember, we are uniquely located in the best state in Australia, on an island within an avocado farm. Here, you can practice art, commune with nature, or enjoy coffee with friends and colleagues. This space supports wellbeing, and deserves respect, as do all members. We acknowledge Edith Leigh for the ongoing development and upgrade of our website. Jin Howard for her content contributions to both the website and our Facebook Page and Siobhan Demeester for the upkeep of our Facebook page. Their hard work is much appreciated. Website: https://www.russellislandarts.com/ Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/RussellIslandCommunityArts More improvements are planned. I will be available at the farm almost every Saturday from 9am to 11am. The building will be open for members during this time. I will also make the pottery shed accessible to potters. We will be producing 3-minute videos showcasing individual artists and their work, which will be uploaded to our website, Facebook and YouTube. If you are interested in participating, please contact Steve. 0438258556 or email ricartsfarm@gmail.com These videos will be professionally produced and edited. Thank you for your continued support and dedication. Let's make this year the best one yet for RICARTS! Warm regards, Stephen Asker President of RICARTS ricartsfarm@gmail.com