Courtney Ball
This is the work-study job of fairy tales ... almost. A few lucky Notre Dame students are getting paid $20 an hour to sit back and relax. There is only one catch: They’re stark naked for three hours. While they rest and unwind from a long day on Notre Dame’s payroll, they must drop their robes and bare all under the close scrutiny of over a dozen of their peers.
Professor Maria Tomasula advertises for models both on and off campus, and she says she always gets a huge response. “Some have never modeled before and just want to try it out, others are long-time, professional artist’s models who have modeled in our region for years and are from various backgrounds — we get interest from college students from Notre Dame and other area universities, and from local residents — and who represent the full spectrum of human variety, across ages, genders, ethnic heritage, etc.”
Nude models are used for two art studio classes: Figure Drawing and Figure Sculpture. The selected models arrive before class and change into a bathrobe behind a fold-out screen as the art students prepare for the day’s work. Then, the moment of truth for the models — they disrobe and strike a pose.
For many students, standing in front of a crowded classroom naked is the stuff of nightmares. But according to seniors Mike Kelly and Gisela Schmidt, it’s the best job they’ve ever had.
“The first moment my thought was actually, ‘Ah, shoot, I know that girl, and that guy is in my other class,’” Schmidt says.
For Kelly, public nudity was the easy part. “The hardest part was telling my mom. I caught a lot of flack from both my mom and sister. As far as they were concerned, I was mere steps away from porn stardom,” Kelly says.
Schmidt chose not to tell her parents, but strongly objects to the idea that her modeling should be viewed as pornographic. “Art in general can be anything, but it’s in the intention of the viewer and the intention of the person who made it ... In figure drawing I don’t see how anyone could see it as negative,” she says.
Amy Karwoski, a senior who took Figure Sculpture last spring, says, “I think there is a vast difference between copying the human figure and sexualizing the human figure. We sculpted everyday poses like walking or sitting. They were carefully chosen poses to make sure that they didn’t seem like sexualized figures.”
Tomasula agrees. “There is a very professional and respectful atmosphere in the classroom, as the students are there to learn and to sharpen their perceptual skills by drawing what is perhaps the most challenging subject there is: the human form,” she says.
The experience produces not only artwork, but also a renewed sense of confidence for both students and models. “You can be the tallest, the prettiest, the most curvaceous if you want. Standing up in front of all those people, it made me feel like I could do anything,” Schmidt says. “There was no one there to compare me to. It was very liberating.”
Kelly also feels positively about the experience. “It was reassuring to know that I am totally OK with my body,” he says.
The money doesn’t hurt either. As most on-campus jobs boast an hourly wage between seven and nine dollars, some students struggle to cover the cost of cab rides on the weekends. In contrast, Schmidt bought herself a red iPod. Kelly funded his spring break vacation with his earnings.
There is a final perk to this work-study job. “It is a great conversation starter. If a conversation lags, I am like, ‘So, I’m a nude model,’” Schmidt says. “You can cross it off of your list of things to do in your life.”
