Artist group “Boy Heavy, Girls Welcome” has deep roots in the MIAD community. Several core group members, Chris Andrews ’91 (Sculpture), Pete Schassler ’90 (Painting), Todd Dakins ’95 (Illustration) and Troy Tatlock ’92 (Painting), met while students at MIAD.
The group also includes faculty member Christian Ricco and Gallery Manager Steven Anderson. The artist group reunited about five years ago, “to continue the craft and discipline of studying the human form in a formal yet social setting,” said Anderson.
This year the group’s annual exhibition, “The Naked Truth,” will take place at MIAD and is an exploration of the nude figure through life drawing and painting.
The Naked Truth is on view October 16 through December 5 in the River Level Gallery, with an Opening Reception during Fall Gallery Night, Friday, October 16 from 5 – 9 p.m.
The core group consists of about eight members, with others coming and going. Participants don’t always have formal training. Many are artists in other ways, ranging from writers and musicians to the groups models.
“Boy Heavy, Girls Welcome” meets once a week, and the models pose from five minutes to an hour during the group’s three-hour session. “It is a studied escape to revitalize your gaze and see the most familiar in the most unusual ways, with spirited fellowship and guidance along the way,” said Anderson.
Working and creating together can provide inspiration, “There is an energy that seems to inhabit a room of people intensely working out the same creative problem in their own unique way. It inspires you to continue on exploring all the possibilities and nuances of being an artist and a human being,” said Anderson.
The exhibition will include drawings and paintings in a variety of media, as well as a literary component, including some writings and books. For more information about the exhibition, click here.
Gallery Hours: Monday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Schedule your free gallery tour today!
