The Figure Society Symposium: Celebrating the 30,000-Year Tradition of the Nude in Art

The foundation of art, for a tradition spanning 30,000 years, is the nude figure. Yet, until recently, there was no dedicated event or symposium organized to celebrate this fundamental subject of artistic pursuit. According to the owner of Artefex, Anton, it is “crazy that, you know, there’s no place that organizes a conference or symposium that celebrates the nude.”

This realization led to the creation of the Figure Society Symposium, which is intended to foster a community focused on the nude figure as the foundation of the arts.

Watch the Introduction Video:

An Intimate Gathering The first Figure Society conference is called a “symposium” rather than a conference because it is designed to be small and intimate. It is scheduled for March 26th, 27th, and 28th—a Thursday, Friday, and Saturday—to allow for easier Sunday travel.

St. Louis, Missouri, was chosen as the location to make it “much easier for everyone to come together” because it is centralized in the country. Furthermore, St. Louis is an affordable city with a small, easy-to-access airport. Working hours for the symposium are 10 AM to 1 PM, followed by a two-hour break, and then 3 PM to 5 PM.

A Day in the Life of a Professional Artist The Figure Society Symposium is structured not as a workshop or a demo, but as three days in the life of a professional artist. The goal is to provide a setting where attendees can observe the process authentically.

The inaugural event includes six professional artists: three painters and three sculptors. The two-dimensional artists are Shane Wolf, Oliver Sin, and Robert Liberace. The sculptors are Alicia Panzio, Kevin Chambers, and Brian Booth Craig. These six artists will work with three models throughout the event.

All-Inclusive Experience Attendance for the event is limited to 102 people. The $800 ticket price covers the full three days and includes all three breakfasts and the final gala party.

The event is designed to be an “all-inclusive situation” where attendees have access to artists and good food. The artists are also provided with an Artefex painting panel, ready for them to start painting immediately, allowing them to take it “out of the bag and start painting.”

A key feature of the symposium is the “STL Showcase,” which offers an uninstructed session where local models pose for any attendee who wishes to practice their own sculpting, painting, sketching, or relief sculpture. The gala party also gives people an opportunity to test Artefex products.

Secure Your Spot With fewer than 30 spaces remaining for this inaugural event, we encourage serious artists to act quickly.