REMEMBER Return Of The Artist, the ad-hoc forum for promoting York’s creative talents still known as ROTA for short?

Now prepare for the return of Return Of The Artist, three years after the organisation decided to take a breather.

ROTA will be re-launched at 7pm tomorrow evening at Space 109, the freshly expanded community arts space in Walmgate managed by Jo Puller.

“The re-launch show welcomes anyone, both old members of the group and people wishing to join the expanding art networking group,” says Andy Hinkles, alias artist Milladdio, the founder and now chairman of the re-activated ROTA.

“We also welcome anyone who would like to visit Space 109 and see the art, which itself forms part of the city's Fiesta festival.”

The exhibition by 20 artists will be open from 11am to 7pm on Saturday and Sunday, and more will follow. “We have plans for a September show for the group already under way and initiatives to hold a quarterly event at City Screen, called Slide, are already put in place too,” says Andy.

ROTA was formed eight years ago and ran for five before going into storage. “Intending to improve networking, problem solving and primarily exhibitions for artists of any background either working, living or studying in the region, we initially utilised the walls of the Barbican Centre, Borders and Waterstone’s (CORRECT) bookshops and York college exhibition areas,” says Andy.

“But ROTA became known very quickly for establishing a long run of rotating shows in bars such as Kennedys, Slug and Lettuce and VJ's, which hosted regular networking events that coincided with launches of concurrent exhibitions.”

The group’s activities helped to promote work by a large number of artists and led to many sales’ opportunities, bringing the practitioners and their work to new as well as established audiences, and even extended to question-and-answer sessions in colleges.

“The events proved very popular, so much so that I had to queue to attend one of the functions in The Basement at City Screen,” recalls Andy. “York City Art Gallery also kindly availed space for two very successful exhibitions, and likewise Impressions photograhic gallery hosted a ROTA show before relocating to Bradford.”

The revival of ROTA comes after a break of nearly three years, prompted by the winds of artistic change in York. “With fresh faces to the organisers of the group, as well as the growing number of fresh faces to the York art scene in general, it naturally seems like a good idea time-wise to put the group back together,” says Andy, who intends to take more of a back seat as chairman.

The new ROTA will be fronted and project managed by Nigel Finburg, alias Chalkie the Yorkie, supported by Artfulness gallery owner Amie Antoniak as treasurer and original ROTA member Cheryl Colley as community arts officer.

“I see that as a very obvious choice with Cheryl’s experience in running workshops and holding exhibitions for homeless and disabled art classes,” says Andy.

One of Cheryl’s dissabled art groups, The A-Team, are contributing to the first show. So too will be pop artist Rachael Mills, newly returned to York after a dalliance with the mustard delights of Norwich, and relative newcomer Andy Q. “His appearances often as his art see him in my eyes as York’s potential Grayson Perry,” says Andy.

The ever garrulous chairman reports “great interest” in the 2009 model of ROTA from the majority of its original members, notably the flour-and-water graffiti artist Dexter and Sasha Consiglio, whose representations of dolls in coffins at The Artspace in Tower Street led to her appearance in the Guardian newspaper.

“Thanks to the initial positive response from Creative York, Business Link and City of York Council’s Leisure Services, as well as early advice on support funding from the Arts Council, I’m already forecasting that the new version of ROTA will be a much stronger and more dynamic group, offering more to both artists and their target audience, with a stronger community-link feel to it,” says Andy.

For more information on the Space 109 exhibition, future events and ROTA itself, send an email to chalkytheyorkie@hotmail.com or write to ROTA, c/o Chalkie the Yorkie, at 10 Mallard Way, Haxby, York, YO32 3NG, or ring him on 01904 758151 or 07861277337.