This year you will start to see both ‘Art at the Alex’ and ‘Art at the Alex CIO’ appear on posters and in posts about the Alex. CIO = Charitable Incorporated Organisation. Its signals that we are making progress with something we have long wanted to get going. A wider range of people (seven artist/maker trustees) who are going to get involved in directing what we do, try and raise funds, and make sure in a more formal way that what we do fulfills charitable purposes (broadly to support local artists and makers and work with the people of Rugby to do this). So more of the same but with potential to expand what we do and change how we work with other bodies.
The new trustees have been meeting since August 2025 and the paperwork is working its way through the long, labyrinthine, Charity Commission process – after numerous drafts and a steep learning curve. Latest update is that we are hoping to be officially set up before end of March. Until then I will just point to the first 2026 exhibition (Salon des Refuses) has been organised by that new team (Steve and Chris are of course part of this) and so uses an adaptation of the usual logo. Seeing CIO shows when the event is being organised by the CIO team. In the first year roughly half the exhibitions that fall into this catagory.
I won’t spoil the surprise but expect a launch in the Spring and some very interesting initiatives ahead. If you are wanting to support the new CIO with funding, or other support, you can reach the team at artatathealex.charity@gmail.com. We hope to get many more people involved and look forward to some impressive changes!
