Do Not Donate Until January 2017

Hi all,

We are asking that people do not donate any materials until January 2017. We are in a transitional period as we seek new space to move into and the less stuff to box up the better! Watch for sales in and around December before our move is finalized.

Thanks for your help and assistance with this request!

Seeking a new partner!

We spent a great year with our partner CARFAC Saskatchewan and it is bittersweet that we officially announce we are seeking a new partner. CARFAC wishes to reclaim some of the space we took for the exchange for their valuable programs, which we are more than happy to oblige! From now until mid-November we are seeking proposals for a new partnership facility. To keep our costs to our members low, we require a small space at very low cost. We are looking at an early December 2016 move out date and hope to be operational with our new partner in January 2017. See the photos or text below for more information about our requirements and overall mandate. Please help us by reaching out to organizations in the community that could benefit from having second hand art supplies at their fingertips. We are open to any options and hope that at our AGM in November we can all vote together on the best options that will inspire growth and renewed interest in our organization. Thanks for any help you can provide!

Partnership Proposal

RASE Seeking New Partner
Regina’s Art Supply Exchange, Inc. (shortened to RASE throughout this document) is a registered Non-Profit under THE NON-PROFIT CORPORATIONS ACT, 1995 (incorporated on November 27th, 2015). RASE spent one great year with our current partner CARFAC Saskatchewan and it is bittersweet that we officially announce we are seeking a new partner. From now until November 15th, 2016 we are seeking proposals for a new partnership facility. We are looking at an early December move out date and hope to be operational with our new partner in January 2017.

RASE Mandate

Benefits to a Partner
With our small amount of requirements, a partnership with RASE will include many or all of the benefits listed below to your organization:

Access our Supplies: Ability for your organization’s members/users to access materials on our shelves for discounted amounts or for free pending partnership agreement.
Increase Traffic: Our integration into your facility will increase traffic of our target audience to your facility (including: educators, artists, crafters, art students, families, others).
Rental Fees: Small or nominal fees will be paid to your organization for our use of your space as determined by a partnership agreement.
Workshops: Utilize items from our shelves for workshops that can be planned together or can be used for your current programs.
Support Local Art Making and Artists: You’d be helping to support a non-profit arts organization committed to equalizing access to quality art supplies to the citizens of Regina.

RASE Requirements
Future partners should have close to our current requirements but any of the wish list items below would be highly favourable to RASE.

Operating Hours: hours where we can be open to the public and members to drop-off supplies and buy items from our shelves.

• Currently: Tues-Fri 9am-4:30pm, manned by CARFAC staff.
• Wish list: prefer non-business hours – ie: open later in the evening for educators who cannot make it to our facility during working hours. We do not need a lot of hours, for example, 3-4 hours per day would be suitable. If the partner organization cannot help us with day-to-day operations, RASE will organize volunteer shifts to take place during our operating hours.

Space: storage enough for 20 feet of bookshelves, in addition to a table and storage unit for membership sign-ups (and potentially a volunteer for payment), and a 20L container for donation drop-offs.

• Currently: approx. 120 ft squared of storage.
• Wish list: approx. 120 ft2 for equipment and an additional space for up to 10 people to participate in a workshop utilizing items from our shelves.

Cleaning: storage for cleaning supplies and access to a sink for additional cleaning up.

• Currently: we access a small cupboard space under a kitchen sink.
• Wish list: same as above with a deep basin sink for cleaning donations.

How to Submit Proposals to RASE
Interested organizations should submit their proposals by e-mail to RASE by November 15th at artsupplyexchange@gmail.com with “Partnership Proposal” in the subject line. Successful proposals will be reviewed by the board and followed up by the Executive Director, Erika Folnović. The e-mail should include the following information for consideration:

Information About Your Organization: name of organization, brief overview of your organization’s mandate/mission, main contact information (name, phone, e-mail)
The Big Question: Why do you want to partner with RASE?
Fitting Our Requirements: Of the three requirements listed (Operating Hours, Space, and Cleaning) what can you offer RASE and for how many potential years of commitment?
Moving: How soon would your organization be able to accommodate RASE in your facility? We are working with a December 16th or sooner complete vacancy date from CARFAC.

I hope to hear from you about this unique partnership opportunity!

Thanks,
Erika Folnović
Executive Director, Regina’s Art Supply Exchange, Inc.

1 punch, 1 book sale

Hi reusers!

From May 17-20 come in to shop and you get to take home a free book with every punch redeemed.

There is no limit to how many free books you can take home this week, so, help us clear out our large stock of art books and magazines!

Have a great week!

Top 3 - Apparently we missed some weeks...

Hi Reusers!

Here are some of our outstanding donations from weeks past. If you haven't come in to shop there are so many great books! Check these awesome supplies out:

Happy Reusing!

Where has the time gone?

Hi Reusers!

I just noticed my last post was all the way at the end of January! So much to catch you up on:

Our Expression of Interest for our Board of Directors ended on January 31st and I will soon be introducing you all to the great ladies that will be joining me in this little adventure (more coming soon!).

We had our first Teacher's Appreciation Sale during the February family week break. Three lucky teachers got to take home free supplies in appreciation for all they do to enrich programs at our schools and other educational facilities.

I presented about Regina's Art Supply Exchange at the Investigating Our Practices conference at the University of Regina Faculty of Education. It was a great way to feel connected again to other educators and the Education Faculty (it has almost been three years since I convocated). I had a really awesome weekend and was honoured to have presented among so many great change makers, innovators, and colleagues.

What is on the horizon? Lots of great things maybe even another sale or two (check back soon!)... In the meantime here are some of the great items we have had donated in the past weeks:

We had a 6 foot piece of borco/vyco working surface excellent for resurfacing a desk donated, a great selection of art history and instructional books, and some really neat natural dyes (which have mostly gone already - we were cleaned out)! Please remember if you are dropping off donations to clean your items a little if they have been stored outside or in a garage.

Finally had some room last week to put this great donation out from the Log House Thrift Store in Regina. Boxes and boxes full of silk flowers (of all colours and types) and even leaves. Ignore prices on bags, prices as always are by filling up our in house bag sizes (it seemed wasteful to take these out of their highly categorized bagging system)! There are still so many flowers and leaves - come and get 'em!

Happy Reusing,

Erika Folnovic

Leader Post Article Now on Display

Hi Reusers!

I'm excited that I finally got the Leader Post newspaper article from September up on display at the shop. Thanks to Western Litho for laminating this for me!

Happy Reusing,
Erika Folnovic

Top 3 - Week of Jan 11th

Howdy Reusers!

Here are our newest donations:

1. Wood and metal easels
2. Beautiful books with some amazing colour plates of artwork
3. Scented pencils! (oh my gosh, they reminded me of my childhood and these markers.)

There was also quite a few honourable mentions this week: frames, silk flowers, and a wide selection of paper (wrapping, carbon, graph, etc.).

Also we are still accepting applications for our Board of Directors. See information here.

Happy Reusing!