Noyes Cultural Arts Center

Nude models brave cold to protest low pay
Posted: 12/18/2008

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By James Mackenzie

PARIS (Reuters) - Artists' models in Paris stripped naked Monday, braving freezing temperatures to protest against a ban on tips and to demand better pay and recognition.

More than 20 male and female models, some posing nude while others were draped in a colorful array of shawls, sheets and fur coats, took part in the protest that had the backing of two of France's biggest labor unions.

The action was triggered by a recent decision by the Paris authorities to enforce a ban on artists' tips, known as "cornet" after the rolled-up cone of drawing paper in which painters traditionally dropped some money for their models.

"We're very badly paid and it's always been that way," said model Carole Kras, who joined others in the courtyard of a 16th century palace that houses the Paris cultural affairs offices.

"We've always had the 'cornet' to make up for some of that but now they want to get rid of it," she said, as shivering colleagues got dressed after briefly disrobing.

The demonstration was tiny compared with recent mass protests involving teachers, railway workers or public servants but in a city with such a long and rich artistic tradition, it carried extra resonance.

The models, who work for the city of Paris posing for students and professional artists, said the end of the "cornet" was the last straw.

"I don't really care about the cornet. What I want is to be better paid," said Kras, a full-time artists' model who has been doing the job for 15 years.

She said an average wage of 10 euros ($13) an hour for posing sessions that often lasted around three hours was inadequate. She added that models, classified officially as "special diverse personnel," wanted clearer professional recognition.

"It is a profession, it&#39

Is it summer yet?

Happy

Thank you for your friendship! :)

Domo arigatou gozaimasu, Noyes Cultural Arts Center~
Yoroshiku onegai shimasu.



RONIN TAIKO

Music+potluck at LilFest. I start 9/11 at Bill's. Just wrote a new song, You Belong.
You should come, lilfest. com/Artist-Bios. html.

hiya noyes! can't wait for the lakeshore fest this weekend!

Thanks for connecting.


I was just there yesterday, admiring your art collection!

Good seeing you here.


Sent you an invite to my blog too.


*smile*
JennyKorn

Please click here to visit my latest blog posted on 6/12 at
http://blog. myspace. com/jennykorn
(I take blog topic suggestions & I subscribe to everyone's blog who subscribes to mine)

Hey, Noyes Cultural Center! I went to Piven as a teenager, and now my daughter goes to arts camp in your lovely building. So it's come full circle.


My current project is the novel I'm writing, a work of gritty urban fiction set mainly in London.
So give it a glance when you get a chance:

http://www. jenschaefer. com

Cheers,
Jennifer

Thank you for the add, if you have need of musicians, I would love to join you as a solo acoustic musician or with my band, 1/2 Mad Poet.
What a great place you have! :-)