Bras – 26 of them, to be exact. Adorned in beads, buttons, ruffles, flowers, feathers, and… computer hardware?
The University at Buffalo's first 'Artful Bra' exhibit features these feminine and often-humorous works of art crafted by UB staff and community members to raise money for breast cancer research.
The brassieres are a part of the 2009 Employees Campaign for the Community – an annual effort where UB faculty and staff raise funds for a Western New York charity of their choice – and will be on display in the Center for the Arts until Oct. 30.
Last year, employees raised $878,000, an amount well above any other university in New York State. But Scott Nostaja, the campaign chairman, encouraged the volunteers to meet and exceed this number in 2009.
'I'm holding out for the million bucks,' Nostaja said.
The employees at Student Academic Processing Services have been active participants for the past several years, each time raffling off hand-made quilts to raise money for their elected organization, the American Cancer Society.
But Mary-Camille Swindler, the department's assistant register and campaign liaison, felt the idea of quilts was getting a little old.
Swindler came across the Web site of a group of quilters from South Carolina who designed brassieres to be auctioned off for breast cancer awareness. It was appropriately named 'The Artful Bra Project.'
'I was looking for something different to do this year and when I saw this, I thought it was a great idea,' Swindler said.
Hoping to replicate this at UB, Swindler contacted local retailers and was thrilled to find that Wal-Mart on Transit Road was willing to donate 30 bras to the effort.
Swindler appointed her colleagues as brassiere decorators and found three representatives from Roswell Park Cancer Institute and Women and Children's Hospital who were willing to lend their creativity to design their own 'artful bras.'
The final display – an array of 26 diversely themed undergarments – with names ranging from 'Woodstack' to 'Boob Dazzler' – showcases each designer's craftsmanship and sense of humor.
Max Levitt, a freshman theater technology and design major, was impressed.
'It was bra-tastic,' Levitt said. 'I really enjoyed ‘Boobs in Bloom,' ‘Double Feature,' ‘Nessie' and ‘Abracadabra' – they were so artistic.'
Courtney Alwais, a freshman theater production major, said her favorite was 'Tech Support,' a bra trimmed in wires, computer chips and duct tape made by the only male designer of the bunch.
'I felt so nerdy looking at it. It made me laugh,' Alwais said.
Although Swindler says it is too difficult for her to personally choose a favorite, she created a blog site (http://ubsartfulbra.posterous.com) where students like Levitt and Alwais can vote for the bras they enjoy the most.
And those who have fallen in love with a particular bra can take – or wear – it home with them. Instructions on submitting bids for the undergarments are detailed on the site, with a minimum amount of $25 and all proceeds going to the American Cancer Society.
Alwais said that with Halloween coming up, she would consider wearing many of the bras as part of a costume.
'I'm definitely going to bid,' Alwais said.
Bidding will end on Oct. 30. Although Swindler said she hasn't received too many bids so far, she already forecasts even more artful bras in the future.
'I think we'll be doing this for a while,' Swindler said.
E-mail: features@ubspectrum.com
