Hello

I am writing to you as SEOS 2022 is my last year of being the Chair of SEOS, and I am both proud and honoured to have been a part of the twenty-fifth anniversary of this wonderful organisation, and to have been the SEOS Chair for the last five years.

SEOS is a not-for-profit organisation, so it is a venture that is put on by the members for the members. The reward is both being part of what is now a historic fixture in the South East and a grass roots creative endeavour aimed at showcasing the immense wealth of art being created in the studios we represent.

As we move into 2023, we need to draw new blood to the SEOS Committee to help build on the successes of the last twenty-five years. A number of key committee roles are becoming vacant this year as long-serving members / ACOs are retiring from their roles, and thus far there have been few expressions of interest in adopting these roles.

I feel strongly that if the membership does want SEOS to continue, then they need to get involved. An event of this size does not happen by itself; it requires a full and dedicated Committee to organise and run, and although I cannot deny that it involves an investment of your time, I can personally vouch for the truth that the rewards are many. There is something quite special – in this corporate, air-brushed world – in being a part of creating an event that meets the needs of local artists and makers and enables us to speak directly to our public.

In short, I am writing to ask for members past and/or present to get involved. At the upcoming SEOS 2022 After Party on the 21st of July, we will have a section specifically for answering any questions, should you have them, and any expressions of interest in the meantime can be sent to chair@seos-art.org.

SEOS is your organisation, and it needs you. Join us...

All the best,
Jamie Walsh (Chair)