Nude Art Show on the Art Crawl

The Vino Dipinte Art Gallery exposed art enthusiasts to their latest exhibit Saturday at the 5th Annual Nude Art Show. The gallery featured nude art creations by both local and out-of-state artists. The show attracts hundreds of people every year as they tour the Art Crawl downtown.

“It’s the only nude art show in West Texas,” said Alejandro Castañon, host of the exhibit. “It’s our flagship show of the year.”

The show’s theme is not as conventional as other exhibits in town, but it provides the opportunity for the people of San Angelo to be exposed to this type of art. The art pieces in the exhibit are submitted from all over the country, and the gallery showcased pieces from Florida, Georgia, California, New York City and local artists.

The exhibit has gained popularity and size every year, especially in the number of pieces showcased. There were 35 this year. Alongside the traditional pieces, the gallery also featured a twist. Visitors had the chance to observe two live nude models painted from head to toe. The models served as a different media to express the theme of the exhibit.

“All we are trying to do is start the conversation for artists and fans of this type of artwork.” said Castañon.

Mr. Castañon said, “All we are trying to do is start the conversation for artists and fans of this type of artwork.” He also said he understands this type of art will not resonate with everyone, but he sees the art show as an opportunity for those who are curious, or fans of the theme, to interact with the pieces and with the local artists who submit their pieces every year. The point of the exhibit is “seeing new takes on modern and classic nude art.”

“We have so much talent in San Angelo,” said Lori Francks, a visitor of the gallery. “I like to get out and see what’s going on.”

The exhibit features a wide selection of medias used to create the artwork, including charcoal on paper, giclees, oil paintings, graphite, acrylic and several mixed medias pieces.

The nude models presented at the show were also different than the ones from previous years. In past shows, the models have been incorporated into huge murals and blended into the scene. This year, they were placed in a room as free standing pieces of artwork.

One of the artists who collaborated on the models, Crystal Goodman, says the process takes about four hours to complete, and it’s the same process as painting on a regular canvas. The artistic development is the same; the only difference is that the human body has curves that need to be considered during the planning of the piece.

“We are really happy that San Angelo has supported us; its growing every year,” said Goodman.

The exhibit will be available for private viewings for the next 30 days.