about us

CREATE's Mission: To create opportunities for expression, enjoyment and appreciation of the arts and humanities through individual and community participation.

Our Vision: A dynamic community in which the energy of the arts promotes a quality of life rich in color, texture and depth.

Meet the Board

Bev Numbers	President
Patricia Hicks Ruiz	Vice President
Linda Karr	Secretary
Midge Fouts	Treasurer
Cindy Merritt
Val Urbat
Terri Franich


Bev Numbers, President, has been a member of the Board of CREATE since 2001. Her involvement at CREATE started with a pottery class. Bev’s primary art medium is clay, and for the last six years she has enjoyed developing her skills with different forms of clay. Bev and her husband live on Diamond Lake. Bev has served as Board Chair for three years. One goal forCREATE includes helping CREATE to become a more active center for the arts touching all age groups and helping artists find a market for their amazing products. Read the latest Message from the President

Patricia A. Hicks Ruiz, Vice President, is an internationally recognized, award winning watermedia artist. Her work has been included in local, regional, and national juried exhibitions and she has been honored to show her paintings in a number of solo exhibits. In the course of Pat's career, she has founded and directed artist cooperatives and art galleries, taught classes and workshops and participated in teaching programs at the elementary and university level. She has volunteered countless hours to further a variety of community programs.

Linda Karr is the CREATE Board Secretary and Volunteer Class Coordinator. She also works on the children’s programming committee, the CREATE newsletter committee, and handles office duty on Tuesdays. A retired school teacher, Linda is a hand-spinner and weaver. She and her husband Robert raise alpacas and naturally colored sheep, and have an extensive commercial iris garden in Newport.

Midge Fouts, Treasurer, has been married for 49 years and has lived in Newport for 34 of them. Mother of three, grandmother of four. A lifetime volunteer in activities such as PTA, 4-H leadership, Headstart , Juvenile Diversion and The Family Crisis Network before coming to CREATE. Acquired a degree in Human Services in 1981. Had paid employment for various lengths of time as Headstart teacher assistant, aerobics instructor and American Sign Language teacher. She is proud of CREATE and the various roles it plays in the community.

Cindy Merritt lives in the forests of Northeastern Washington where she can indulge her passions of creating natural crafts and nature landscape photography. She has developed many passions that include making hoop drums, crocheting/knitting hats, brown paper bag sculptures, medicine shields and anything else she can find as an outlet for a creative imagination. She is working with CREATE to be closer to the creative process in others and to be able to share some of the ideas and skills she has. She have a diverse background and looks forward to being active in this exciting endeavor.

Val Urbat and her husband Norm have been remodeling a home at Diamond Lake for the past 8 years. She hopes to support the CREATE Board with her background in business. She has a Masters in Business and a background in banking as a Vice President at both Bank of America and Ponderay Bank. She owns Mountain Lake Mortgage, a Real Estate Mortgage firm in Newport. She has an enthusiasm for all the arts and hopes to help others develop their artistic talents and in the process maybe develop some of her own.

Terri Franich - I grew up in New York, relocated to the west coast, met my husband Doug, and moved to Northern California. From there we lived in Hawaii for five years. After working and living in Hawaii, we moved to the Kirkland area, then moved to Monroe. We built our home there, but after much growth in the area we relocated to Priest River. We have lived in the area for almost four years. I have two grown children. I enjoy camping, horseback riding, and our own horses. We have traveled and camped with our horses. I enjoy spinning fibers, knitting and quilting. I love to learn new crafts, and I also cross country ski and snow shoe. I do volunteer work at my church; while living in the Seattle area, I served on another Board.

	Board meetings are open to the public and held on the first and third Wednesdays of each month; 3-5 pm. Please call ahead if you wish to be on the agenda. (509) 447-9277