Lexington Art League’s ‘Body Figure Nude’
exhibition entering its 26th year

For more than a quarter century, the Lexington Art League has presented area art lovers with an exhibition focusing entirely on the human form.

This year’s iteration is called “Body Figure Nude” to reflect the changing nature of the exhibition from traditional nude art to something that encompasses the entirety of the human form (clothed or otherwise) in a broad spectrum of media, said LAL marketing director Andrea Coates.

This will be the exhibition’s 26th year in Lexington and is the “most anticipated,” Coates said.

“Everyone really looks forward to this,” she said.

Public perception of the exhibition has changed over the years. Originally, curators had to cover the windows to shield the world from the nude when it first started 26 years ago.

The change comes likely because “culturally what’s considered shocking is different than it was 26 years ago,” said LAL exhibitions and programs director Becky Alley.

Artists from all over the world submitted their work for inclusion in LAL’s “Body Figure Nude” — local artisans as well as some from as far away as France will be represented when the show opens Saturday.

This year’s exhibition, keeping to its new name, will feature more than just two-dimensional artworks — a myriad of sculpture types and three-dimensional art will join works hanging on the walls.

“It’s including a variety of media,” said LAL executive director Stephanie Harris.

And that expansion of medium has allowed artists in the exhibition to be more creative with their works — which often follow the themes of how the artist sees themselves, the world and others, Alley said.

“(It) opens up a lot of space for artists to experiment with context and meaning,” she said. “(The art) can be very personal and expressive at the same time.”

“Body Figure Nude” will run from Saturday through March 11 at the Lexington Art League, located at 209 Castlewood Drive. The exhibit will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

All the work is “very related to identity,” Harris said. “I think there are a lot of very powerful statements that can be made when you look at it from that perspective.”

For more information on “Body Figure Nude,” visit LAL’s website or Facebook page.