AGM Decisions + New Hours

Hi Reusers,

After a productive AGM, the following decisions were made:

• New Hours are 10:30am-2:30pm. Closed on August 4.
• This decision was voted unanimously in favour. 
• These new hours were based on aligning with Farmers' Market Hours (9am-1pm) when traffic is already in the downtown core, in addition to, aligning with the lunch hour on Saturdays for those that work (and those travelling downtown to eat) and Central Library programming, which typically run between 10:30am-3:00pm on Saturdays.
• We need more volunteers willing to work our new Saturday hours.
• Articulate Ink is closing down their shop and moving back to Pop-up Shop Hours, which is why our shop will be closed on Saturday, August 4. This means we no longer have consistent staffing for the shop and need to train new volunteers ASAP. Erika will work in the shop for the month of August until such time when enough volunteers are available to share shifts on Saturdays.
• Membership will be changing from free to up to $60/year (pending member consultations).
• You no longer have to be a member to shop at the RASE Shop.
• Due to our partnership with Articulate Ink changing, we are also in need of a new way to bring in income throughout the year. It was decided to look into what members would want as benefits from a RASE Membership system. All those who are considered currently as members will be added to an e-mail list and the new membership will launch in January 2019.
• Complete our Membership Survey to let us know what you want out of a new Membership System.

• POS (Point of Sale) system that will accept credit cards will be implemented no later than January 2019.
• Decision to spend up to $200 on new system was unanimously in favour.
• Erika will look into a POS system that is most cost effective.
• Punch Card changes when new POS system is implemented.
• The punch card system was created to make cash transactions easy, however, with a new POS system that can take credit cards, this will make purchases easier.

Thanks for your interest in the RASE and I hope you can complete our survey to help us serve you better! The survey should take between 5-10 minutes and is anonymous.

Thanks,

Erika Folnovic

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.

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

Top 3 - Week of Nov 30th + Holiday Hours + Holiday Giveaways

Hey Reusers!

Three very important things to post about today:

1. Top 3 Post

This week we had glittery, sparkly ribbon and tape, mat boards and cutters, in addition to, a huge assortment of supplies from the Regina Artist Trading Card Collective donated to the Shop. The ATC Collective holds an annual "Good Stuff Swap" and these were the leftovers. Thanks, ATC Collective!

2. Holiday Hours

Please check these modified hours before you stop by the ASE shop in December!

3. Holiday Giveaways

We're trying out a couple of promotions for the month of December. There are two ways to get some free stuff for you (or someone you know) during the holiday season:

Here are the themed bags that I set-up, if you are curious:

That's all for now! Have an awesome December!

Happy Reusing,
Erika Folnovic

No Top 3 - Week of Nov 23rd + Call for Supplies

Hi Reusers,

We had no donations this week but I will be introducing some holiday giveaways in the coming weeks, so, watch the blog or Facebook for updates.

We also have a new Call for Supplies needed in the community before the end of December:

• plaster gauze (ie for mask making)
• plaster of paris 
• vaseline 
• lots of decent quality oil based clay/Plasticine (ie Plastelina) 

If you have any of the above items kicking around drop them off during regular hours (Tuesday - Friday 9am-4:30pm) and they will go to the member seeking them out. We will post updates on our Call for Supplies page, so, watch there for the most recent needed lists.

Thanks and Happy Reusing!

Erika Folnovic

Top 3 - Week of Nov 9th

Howdy, my reusing artists and educators out there!

Here are the Top 3 donations of the week:

1. Shoe boxes full of elastics and other notions
2. A super sweet sewing case (I just love the green colour - one of my favourites)
3. Some hooked rug canvases and other plastic mesh

Wow-za, we have been getting lots of items great for any fibre/textile artists out there. Come stop by the shop Tues-Fri 9am-4:30pm on the corner of Broad and Dewdney and pick up some great stuff.

Happy reusing, folks!
-Erika Folnovic

Top 3 - Week of Nov 2nd

Hey Reusers!

Another edition of our Top 3 donations of the week. Items this week include:

1. Grumbacher Professional Quality Oil Paints
2. Holiday Cross Stitch Prepackaged Sets
3. Small Rolls of Tulle

I wanted to point out the great use of reusing in the tulle pictured above. This donor even reused one of our paper bags for their donations. Yah!

Happy Reusing, folks!

-Erika Folnovic

Top 3 - Week of Oct 26th

Hey Reusers!

Continuing with this new feature, I'm sharing some of my favourite donations of the week. Items this week include:

1. Scrapbooking Paper (so many colours and patterns)
2. Needlework Patterns/Designs on Java Canvas (I love these larger ones but we had some smaller ones donated, too! Also, there is lots of embroidery floss and crewel yarn to take home)
3. Stickers (any 4 year olds dream!)

Happy Reusing, folks!

-Erika Folnovic

Top 3 - Week of Oct 19th

Hey Reusers!

I want to start a new features where I share some of my favourite donations of the week. As a note, all donated items are super special and we appreciate them ever so dearly, but these will just be three items that personally spark my interests. I hope you enjoy!

This week we have three very special collections of items:

1. Sealed Canvasses (including little mini ones, how cute!)
2. Craft Paint (in every colour, I swear)
3. Vintage Cigar Designs on Paper (this would be so great on Artist Trading Cards)

Happy Reusing, folks!

-Erika Folnovic

Grand Opening!

Here are pictures minutes before our Grand Opening Celebration on September 25th, 2015. Thanks to everyone who stopped by!

Happy Reusing, folks!
Erika Folnovic

Ready for the Launch!

Hi Reusers,

Tada! We have stocked the shelves and we are (almost) ready for you at noon tomorrow! See our Upcoming Events page for more details.

I'm super excited to share this project with you and need your feedback! We want to know if the ASE should be providing incentives for donating. What do you think? Fill out the below form to add your opinion to the poll.



Hope to see you folks, tomorrow!

Happy Reusing,
Erika Folnovic

September 25th Launch!

Hey Reusers!

Here comes the information about our opening on Friday, September 25th, 2015:

• We will be open from Noon-6pm
• If you haven't signed up for a membership yet, you can sign-up on Friday (a couple of computers will be available with the online form up and running)
• Punch cards will be available for $10 for 10 punches CASH ONLY, CARFAC members can also come by and pick-up their complimentary Punch Card for the year
• We have three bag sizes: 1 punch, 4 punches, and 10 punches (although some items will be priced individually because they are too big for the smaller bags but are not worth 10 punches)
• You can bring your own bag (but use our fabric ones to collect the right amount based on standard prices) or use one of our standard paper bags
• You can drop-off more donations, if you would like, too
• The founder, Erika Folnovic, will be there if you would like to meet her

Our Upcoming Events page and Facebook have the below poster and you can help us out by sharing these events and pages! OR copy/share/download the poster below and send it out to people you think may be interested in our organization:

Oh my goodness! Less than five days away!

Happy Reusing, folks!

Erika Folnovic

Updated Shop Photos from September 1st

Hi Reusers!

I forgot to share an updated shop photo in my last post. I was there on Tuesday reorganizing our shelves and getting some additional donations sorted. It is filling up nicely, but we could still use some more to really pack the shelves before September 25th.

The lovely Ashley V. donated the above paper storage unit to our space on September 1st and I am so very grateful! Thanks for asking if we wanted it - looks beautiful and fits perfectly!

Overview of the whole space (including a creepy mannequin head some students of mine coloured on).

Like I wrote above, we still have room to take in more donations to stuff our shelves. If you happen to be going through a craft/storage room or have some things in your office or classroom you'd like to pass on, we'd love your stuff! Please double check with our List of Accepted Items first then come by the CARFAC Saskatchewan Regina Office Monday - Friday 9am-4:30pm, excluding holidays (you can contact us by phone, e-mail, or on Facebook, too).

 21 days until launch time! Happy Reusing, folks!

-Erika Folnovic

Bags! Bags! Bags!

Hi Reusers!

Just updated The Shop page on our blog to give you the most recent news on how the shop will work. In particular, I have been busy over the past couple of days sewing some standard bag sizes that members can use when shopping at the ASE. I wanted both paper and fabric versions of these bags for the people who tend to forget their own bag (they can take home the paper ones) and ones that can be used over and over again without tearing for the people who remember their own bag (fabric ones are kept at the shop).

My process...
I bought some standard paper bags in three sizes (small, medium, large), measured them out and built patterns, experimented with some different ways of constructing them (this always takes longer than I want it to!) and then I decided on a pattern making sure the fabric versions would be the same volume as the paper. These bags ended up using three pieces of fabric: one large piece that is the front, back, and bottom and two side pieces that are sewn to the first large piece. I finished the edges inside and on the top, then sewed the top edge into bias tape. Then for the handles I used some recycled ribbons and string. I used stronger upholstery materials I already had on hand and ended up using some I bought new from Ikea (their textiles are so pretty) and others from various garage sales and thrift store trips. Any bags with white around the top and on the handles are the large size (10 punches). Bags with red are the medium size (4 punches) and the black are small (1 punch). Now all I need is our logo printed somewhere on these or maybe a tag inside? I still have 22 days before our launch to figure it all out, but I know it'll go by quicker than I want it to!

Happy Reusing, folks!

-Erika Folnovic

Pinterest!

Hey Reusers!

Do you have a Pinterest account? Do you know what it is? It is a visual bookmarking website that is free to join. You can create boards by pinning links/images from bookmarked materials. Think of it like a virtual cork idea board with little cut-out images pinned up. I started an account for the Art Supply Exchange and have already pinned over 800 items relating to reusing and artists/educators. 

I have found beautifully designed posters, easy to follow craft tutorials, amazing work by artists working in a variety of disciplines, and many more. We currently have 13 boards in total about:

1. Paper Roll Craft/Art Ideas
2. Paper Roll Art Supply Storage
3. Paper Art and Artists
4. Repurposing and Reviving Old Art Supplies
5. Reuse Art and Artists
6. Repurposed Storage for Art Supplies
7. Posters about Eco Art
8. Reuse Craft/Art Ideas
9. How to Make and Store ATC's (Artist Trading Cards)
10. Plastic Bottle Reuse
11. Eco Companies and Groups
12. Posters for Artists and Creatives
13. Posters for Arts Educators

Any other boards you'd like the Art Supply Exchange to start pinning and seeking out? 

Please follow us. We hope that you can use some of these ideas and find inspiration for your own studio or classroom projects.

Happy Reusing, folks!

-Erika Folnovic

Movies to Watch

Hi Reusers!

In recent weeks I have watched three movies that had mindful impact on me and the way I think about the reuse/recycle/"life hack"/DIY (Do it Yourself)/eco/fair trade/organic/green movements. In fact, even just listing off that long line of terminology is a daunting task. If something is organic it is not always fair trade, fair trade may not be ecologically sustainable, a "life hack" or DIY project may not promote reusing, our recycling may or may not actually be reprocessed. We have created these systems of disconnect that remove us from being cognizant of the social and environmental impact we are having on our planet. As well, we have bought into a system that hierarchically places consumption over the environment. Whether it is the fashion industry producing clothes in factories with unregulated working and environmental conditions maintaining little accountability for human and natural life being harmed OR relying heavily on plastics and having their never ending lifespan find a home in our oceans OR embracing a planned obsolescence of everyday products and placing priority on our recycling and garbage bins before reuse bins, we are further distancing ourselves from ecological sustainability in the short and long term. Here is a list of these three films:

The True Cost (2015, Directed by Andrew Morgan)

Description from Website: The True Cost is a documentary film about the impact of fashion on people and the planet. Filmed in countries all over the world, from the brightest runways to the darkest slums, and featuring interviews with the world’s leading influencers including Stella McCartney, Livia Firth, and Vandana Shiva, The True Cost is an unprecedented project that invites us on an eye opening journey around the globe and into the lives of the many people and places behind our clothes. See more at: http://truecostmovie.com/.

Some of the most poignant moments of the film come from the juxtaposition of Black Friday madness in the USA and observable conditions in garment manufacturers. This idea of "fast fashion" harms so many people and environments (two examples from the movie include the Rana Plaza disaster and the unimaginable rate of farmer suicide in India) but because we don't see those direct impacts when we enter retailers like H&M, Gap, or Zara to buy a $5 shirt we are blind to the social justice and environmental issues these countries face. Definitely eye-opening. I'd recommend this movie for discussion and research in high school social studies classes, in fact, you can easily send a screening request form by going to this link. This movie is now up on Netflix if you have a chance to watch it.

Addicted to Plastic (2008, Directed by Ian Connacher)

Description from Website: ADDICTED TO PLASTIC is a feature-length documentary about solutions to plastic pollution. The point-of-view style documentary encompasses three years of filming in 12 countries on 5 continents, including two trips to the middle of the Pacific Ocean where plastic debris accumulates. The film details plastic's path over the last 100 years and provides a wealth of expert interviews on practical and cutting edge solutions to recycling, toxicity and biodegradability. These solutions - which include plastic made from plants - will provide viewers with a hopeful perspective about our future with plastic.

How much plastic do you throw away on a daily basis? How much do you recycle? How much do you reuse? What I love the most about the "reuse/DIY/life hack" movement is that overall it does promote the repurposing of our so-called "garbage." It takes a lot of what we got wrong over the last 100 years (as this movies spans) and flips our mentality to find the inherent value in plastics trash. The movie is quite optimistic and I love all the profiles of companies who are trying to change the standards of plastics productions. I created some pins on the Art Supply Exchange's Pinterest board about two of these companies Ocean Sole and Conserve India, but they are only small initiatives in a larger global problem. I think Creative Reuse Centres across the world are helping to bring both awareness and popularity to the hierarchy of the reduce (1st priority), reuse (2nd), recycle (3rd) chain.

The Boxtrolls (2014, LAIKA, Directed by Anthony Stacchi and Graham Annable) Based on the book "Here Be Monsters!" by Alan Snow

Description from Website: The Boxtrolls is a comedic fable that unfolds in Cheesebridge, a posh Victorian-era town obsessed with wealth, class, and the stinkiest of fine cheeses. Beneath its charming cobblestone streets dwell the Boxtrolls, foul monsters who crawl out of the sewers at night and steal what the townspeople hold most dear: their children and their cheeses. At least, that’s the legend residents have always believed. In truth, the Boxtrolls are an underground cavern-dwelling community of quirky and lovable oddballs who wear recycled cardboard boxes the way turtles wear their shells.

LAIKA is a amazing animation production company that specializes in stop motion animation. If you're an adult, you may shrug off animated films because they may seem like films for children, but LAIKA's movies (Paranorman, Coraline) are highly sophisticated in their dealing of the human condition and beautifully designed, animated, and produced. The Boxtrolls intricately weaves together themes of understanding and tolerance, as well as, environmental sustainability. I got excited by the visual world they created for the Boxtrolls, which is built on the repurposing of throw aways. At the end, they even implemented reuse bins on the streets of Cheesebridge. Definitely another crowning achievement from LAIKA.

*********************

Happy Reusing, folks!

-Erika Folnovic

Inspiring Messages from "The Social Entrepreneur's Guide to Starting a Creative Reuse Center"

I have now twice read through my copy of "The Social Entrepreneur's Guide to Starting a Creative Reuse Center" by Kelley Carmichael Casey and Alyssa Kail and now feel ready to share some thoughts about the text, including useful messages and tips from its pages. While the book provides useful pragmatic information and advice (including worksheets at the end of most chapters), I mostly want to share the words that really resonate with me.

Before this analysis, I would like to mention that I took a course earlier this year from March until May offered by local leader Marian Donnelly called "How to Run a Non-Profit Organization" at the Creative City Centre (a cultural hub for artists spanning from spoken word to print media, which includes a gallery/performance venue, as well as, studio spaces for rent). I found a lot of material covered in this book was covered extensively in this course, BUT I found it very helpful that the book focused solely on CRC's whereas the course offered a much broader reach to include a myriad of arts and cultural organizations. This course was integral to the Art Supply Exchange. Marian not only provided me with mentorship as I started this venture, but I met Jennifer McRorie, former director of CARFAC Sask in this class.

Together these two resources presented a comprehensive and integral guide as I started to explore this CRC adventure.

Page#	Quotation	Thoughts
7	"Starting a creative reuse center is a full-on commitment, takes hard work and good community relations, as well as resilience and a willingness to explain your mission over and over to potential stakeholders."	The book does a great job of balancing a "go-getter" attitude with the risk-taking reality of starting any business or non-profit. The authors are clearly very passionate about this work but are not afraid to tell you it comes with its challenges.
7	"...cast-off goodies and doo-dads..."	I just love the terminology they used in the book. Very easy to read with a conversational feel.
9	"A creative reuse center is a place full of color, texture, inspiration, and, typically, a little chaos."	Any artist's dream.
9	"And items that likely would have wound up in a trash or recycling bin are, at best, reused in a sustainable way or, at worst, postponed from entering the waste stream."	We hope the objects that are taken home from our stores are responsibly used but we can never be sure. I hope that people who are interested in committing to the reuse mission by volunteering or purchasing items do take it seriously and integrate daily practices in their lives. It can be as simple as having a tote bag in your home where you put these objects instead of putting them in the trash.
10	"[CRC's] change the sustainability conversation by acknowledging that there is value in repurposing materials for strictly aesthetic reasons."	There are a myriad of artists integrating this methodology in their studios. One of my personal favorites is El Anatsui.
17	"It's important to never turn away a donation without giving the donor options for reuse and/or responsible disposal."	I want to add a section to our List of Accepted Items that does address this. Regina does have a wealth of charities and thrift stores that (I'm sure) would love these donations.
19	"Passion plays an important role in establishing a creative reuse center. Without a compelling drive, it's difficult to stay the course when it gets bumpy. And at times it will get plenty bumpy... Consider how tempting it can be to bail out of a situation when nothing seems to be going right. You'll need an anchor to hang on to during challenging times. Enthusiasm and passion for the work make up that anchor."	I know I will always have this enthusiasm and passion and I hope my future coworkers, board members, and community can see this clearly. One of my biggest worries is not losing this passion myself but the community who uses and volunteers with the centre losing this passion and leaving me on my own. It is a worry but not a reality. I have experienced a wealth of support already in the past month of announcing the Art Supply Exchange and this energizes me.
20	"If you are attracted to starting up a creative reuse center in your community, we'll make some assumptions about you... You are either crafty or a hoarder. We'll assume the former."	I had a very good laugh at this statement. I do regularly say, though, that artists and educators have a little hoarder in their heart. Often we'll hold onto items "just in case" we need it in the future because we don't know if our next grant application will be accepted or if our schools will approve the spending. We have to learn to survive in sometimes very bleak and bitter circumstances (ie: funding has been cut from our schools and we have to dig into our personal savings to purchase just the necessary materials to maintain programs) but we are thrifty and make do, to say the least. Supporting one another I think is the greatest strength of creative reuse.
33	"While creative reuse is the best thing ever, you need to find out if other people in your community agree."	Although I haven't done any formal feasibility studies, my goal was always to start small and sustainable with room to grow.
43	"You are creating an arts and environmental organization. A creative reuse center is a beautiful marriage of two disciplines that aren't always seen as naturally connected. You will need champions in both sectors to thrive."	I would recommend reading To Life! Eco Art in Pursuit of a Sustainable Planet by Linda Weintraub. It informed a lot of my research into eco art models. I particularly liked the definition of the three strands of eco artists (the second being the model of creative reuse centres): the first utilizes raw material from natural environments (e.g., sap, pollen, feathers, bark, bone, branches), the second draws from discarded and degraded manufactured material (e.g., manufactured goods in landfills or second-hand shops), and the third explores living plants, microbes, and animals (pg. 43).
59	"You'll need to straddle the fence that separates pure creative ingenuity from brass tacks facts and figures."	A good reminder for balance.
62	"We are big fans of surveys. We find that the more data collected and analyzed, the better informed we are about our function in the stakeholder village. Without establishing feedback loops, you could be preaching to the choir, working in a silo, and worse, potentially developing programs and services that please you but don't resonate with your stakeholders."	I liked their use of the term "stakeholders," which relates to the community you serve, other organizations that sponsor you, members, volunteers, and everyone in between that has some investment in your organization. It is concise but inclusive.
71	"Remember the Rule of Seven from advertising? Reportedly, people need to hear a message a minimum of seven times before they act on it. If you are using email, newsletters, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, you're priming the pump to pay attention to the buzz."	Another useful tip.
87	"It's hard to decline the services of a willing individual when you have so much work to do. We still advocate that you screen carefully and engage those who are a good fit."	Learning from other reuse centres, I am drafting a comprehensive policy with job descriptions before I seek out any support. Having this structure in place is very important to me because I struggle when I am surrounded by too much chaos.
87	"Finally, once you have your corps of volunteers, treat them like exactly what they are - solid gold."	Volunteers = solid gold.
105	"You are on the cutting edge of an exciting movement in reuse history."	It is exciting to be a part of a larger movement of reuse, diy, life hacks, and other trendy terms. I even started a Pinterest page for the Art Supply Exchange, as an alternative to printing pamphlets with ideas for reuse, which makes it easier to share ideas of interest and uses less paper.
105	"Our hope is that you have decided that you are exactly the type of person with that kind of passion to start up a creative reuse center... We wish you the greatest joy and sense of accomplishment in helping the community, helping the planet and creating economic opportunities."	Again, I was happy with the authors mix of hard truths and excited encouragement. It made me feel secure in my choices and decisions, as well as, pointing out some additional material I may have not considered.

Thanks for sharing your wisdom and experience!
-Erika Folnovic

And so it begins...

Hey Reusers!

I just wanted to share with you an update about our facility. I am super excited that our little corner in the CARFAC Sask Regina office is taking shape!

(I forgot my DSLR, so, we'll have to settle for a phone picture.)

On August 6th, my mother and I went on a citywide trek to collect all the donated bookshelves and storage units (from friends, family, and my own hoarded collection). They are finally all in one place and clean, as well as, currently being organized. I spent a few hours today looking through containers and boxes of donated materials. 

Finally, we have the bare bones of the Art Supply Exchange!! *cue excited cheers* There is still so much to do and I have a little over a month to get it all done, but I am more excited now than ever seeing it all put together.

Happy Reusing, folks!

-Erika Folnovic

Books to Read

I just received my copy of "The Social Entrepeneur's Guide to Starting a Creative Reuse Center" by Kelley Carmichael Casey (PsyD) and Alyssa Kail (both part of the SCRAP USA network). I look forward to reading it before the official launch of our little Art Supply Exchange here in Regina! Here is a picture of the book:

I love the graphic on the front. It reminds me a lot of the Cathedral Art School's logo with it's carefully composed mixture of materials and supplies for art creation.

Look back for another post once I read through, highlight, and sticky note the book!

-Erika Folnovic

Blog is Live, Shop is Coming Soon!

NOTE FROM THE FOUNDER

Hello! Welcome to The Art Supply Exchange (ASE) Blog! I am excited that you have found us. Find out more about who we are and what we do by clicking through our menu OR scrolling down to the bottom of this post.

Right now we need YOUR help! Do you have paint and paintbrushes lying around not being used? Do you have a collection of buttons that need to go to a good home? Do you know someone who is looking to get rid of some underused art supplies? Over the summer our goal is to collect enough art related items to launch the ASE shop September 25th, 2015. Click here to see what types of supplies we are looking for. You can drop off supplies at the CARFAC Saskatchewan Regina office starting Monday, July 6th. Office hours are Monday-Friday 9:00am - 4:30pm.

I am thrilled that my long time dream of a reuse centre is now coming to fruition. Four years of researching, conversing with, e-mailing, and writing about established Creative Reuse Centres (CRC's) across North America has culminated in the Art Supply Exchange. I am ecstatic to bring this CRC project to Regina!

Do you know any artists, educators, or organizations that could benefit from using/donating to our centre? Help us by sharing our blog and our Facebook Page to get the word out. If you have any questions don't hesitate to contact us. I look forward to meeting you and want to thank you for your interest in our up-and-coming organization!

-Erika Folnovic

A brief overview of the Art Supply Exchange:

• We were founded by Erika Folnovic (BEd Arts Education, BA Visual Art) with CARFAC Saskatchewan (Regina Office)
• We are a membership based Creative Reuse Centre focused on getting second hand materials out of disuse and out of our landfills by putting them in the hands of creative people and organizations for very minimal costs. Membership is free.
• We run a blog... we will post Call For Supplies (when our shop opens, our members can ask us to collect materials for their use - worth up to 5 punches or $5), Artist to Artist Exchange (free blog post and social media posts for items that are too large to carry in the shop), and other information relating to our mandate.
• We will have a shop... in September 2015 we will open a small shop in CARFAC Saskatchewan's Regina Office (located on the 2nd Floor of 1734 Dewdney Ave - NE corner of Broad St & Dewdney Ave). All summer (starting July 6th) we will be collecting second hand materials from our List of Accepted Items. Members will be able to purchase products using a $10 Punch Card ($1/punch).
• We are working towards becoming incorporated as a non-profit organization.