 Hello, everyone. I can't hear you. Hello, everyone. I Would say one more time, but that would be that would be bad I'm really excited to have you all here. I have some Prepair marks. I'm gonna try to read Please bear with me them But good morning and welcome to Experimental Station. My name is Corey Chapman. I serve as the Deputy Director of Operations I'm very excited to have you all here This the space comes alive when there's people like you in it give it a life, so thank you for that If you have any questions throughout the the day or need some assistance Please feel free to tap me or any of our staffers on the shoulder. We'll be happy to help you out with Directions to the bathroom or how to get some water or however else we can help you But on behalf of Experimental Station I would like to extend a heartfelt welcome to each one of you you artists curators educators writers creators and activists to the 2023 artists link assembly and to our space We're so armed to have such a dynamic group joining us both in person on Chicago Southside remotely from Kiev and from around the world Your presence here today is significant as who you are the work you do Reflects to eat those of Experimental Station Like this artist link assembly our space brings together a diverse array of individuals to address community needs Under this roof we work with artists journalists food equity advocates and community builders to support our community on Chicago Southside Which has been a community that has been seen decades of disinvestment Our relationship with their organization has deep roots spanning over a decade More than ten years ago. We welcome CNC artist links Marina now Proustina from Belarus Marina's art her perspective and her presence in our space and risk to conversations happening here at Experimental Station and Consequentially the work that we do Today as we gather for this assembly we continue the traditional fostering transitional conversations that bridge the gaps between artists creators writers activists journalists and more In turn this helps us gain perspective of our own societal strengths and weaknesses They bring new and creative energies through our space in our work You do this and we appreciate you for doing it through the exchange of ideas Collaboration and lived experience our community and a diverse array of organizations and individuals We are able to work toward Experimental Station's mission to build Independent cultural infrastructure on the south side of Chicago by providing essential resources that respond to local needs In our ever-evolving pursuit for this mission Experimental Station has launched pre-surprise winning journalistic organizations Supported local independent journalism Created a farmers market that provides access to fresh food where there were none Ensure at access to and affordability of fresh produce produce for those relying on food stamps across Illinois Supported the development of local black black youth with after-school Programming and support local black and brown artists Thank you all for joining us today in our space For bringing your perspectives and contributing to the innovative creative and collaborative energy upon which Experimental Station's mission was built Together let's make the artist link assembly a platform for meaningful connections inspiring ideas and impactful collaborations Thank you