Professional artists may find that it is expensive to hire a model to pose nude, but American River College provides an event on campus that provides students a more affordable option.
Figure Friday was developed by ARC art professor Sarah Mattson, who wanted to provide a venue for both professionals and students to hone their craft as well as showcase their finished work.
In the Fine Arts department of American River College, this opportunity is being provided in a way that is both easy to access and cheaper, at only $5 for a three hour session. Hosted in room 510, Mattson noted that this is one of the best ways to accommodate students.
“We are one of the most economical open workshops in the Sacramento Valley,” Mattson said.
Excluding photography, artists are allowed to use the model posing for them for various forms of visual art, such as drawings, paintings and sculptures.
Art major Kyle Stevenson was a model for the event, and said that it gives him the chance to give back to the artistic process.
“There are some basic rules,” he said. “You want to have three contact points so you can distribute your weight evenly, since the lactic acid buildup is pretty bad, to the point where it feels like everything is burning.”
Stevenson holds poses for periods up to 15 minutes before taking a five minute break.
Models are selected from a pre-existing pool of models that work for the district.
“I had to fill out some paperwork for the (district) office, got fingerprinted, and they let me become a model,” Stevenson said.
Artists that are participating must remain professional at all times, especially given how exposed the models are.
Computer science major Brad Carps uses Figure Friday as a way to get back into his artistic roots.
“I have been involved in art since I was very young,” Carps said. “I decided to engage in computer science, and I got sidetracked.”
Figure Friday is held in the fine arts department in room 510, and will take place at every Friday until Dec. 11.
