Saturday, October 11, 2008

"Perceived Potential" Kills Life Drawing Class


A Life Drawing for Adults class at the State Museum in Albany, New York, has been cancelled. The artists decided to discontinue the class because a scheduling conflict would have potentially put the nude models in view of school kids, so the museum wanted to drape towels over their genitals.
(Museum education and public programs director Jeanine) Grinage doesn't have a problem with nudity personally and staff members were divided on how to address the modeling The decision to cover up private parts and eventually to cancel the program came out of a perceived potential for complaints by parents with young children.

The museum staff is not prudish, Grinage insisted. For instance, a life-like Native American diorama features bare-breasted women planting crops. Also, the Bank of America Great Art Series occasionally includes nude photographs, erotic paintings or sculptures from New York City museum collections. Those have not drawn complaints.

"We always have to keep in mind that we are a family museum," Grinage said.
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