Let’s ignore the fact that I should have remembered more from my Studio Arts exam and let’s take a look at what ARIs are. Not to be confused with the music awards, ARI stands for Artist Run Initiative. They are run by artists for artists, to showcase their projects, and can exist in many different forms and different spaces, from laneways and tunnels to more traditional gallery spaces.

I’m forever a proud Melburnian and it pleases my heart to see the amount of Victorian ARIs vastly outnumber those of our other great states (and territories). ARIs are as important to our cultural scene as commercial and public galleries, and crucial for supporting local and especially emerging artists.

Examples of ARIs in Melbourne include BLINDSIDE, Kings ARI, Rubicon ARI and Knight Street Art space.

A photo I took at Platform Art Space – located in the Degraves St Subway- last year