The Figure Society Symposium will be held at the Sqwire's Annex in Lafayette Square in St Louis:

https://sqwires.com/

1415 South 18th Street, Saint Louis, MO 63104

Lafayette Square is a beautiful area with a great park, lovely architecture, quality restaurants, bars, etc. We chose a venue that was well-adapted to the symposium's needs and also in an area where attendees can decide to stay for the entire 3-day event if they so choose.

No. The Figure Society is an entirely unique adventure. Our vision for the symposium is to have amazing models, sculptors and painters all in the same space, bouncing ideas / critiques / debates, etc, off each other, and all completely accessible to the public. And to be able to do this for 3 days on end, so everyone can better understand the true creative process of each artist and model (that usually only happens in the privacy of each artist's studio).

The 6 artists will have 15 hours total to work (5 hours per day), and it is up to each artist to decide how they break up those 15 hours. Perhaps some artists may do some quick pose work before tackling a longer project, and perhaps some will spend upwards of 10 hours on a single piece. All of that will be decided on day 1, all in full view and observation of the attendees, and open to questioning (the artists and models are not allowed to pre-plan anything; we want the public to hear why the artists and models are making their decisions).

With only 102 tickets being sold, The Figure Society is curating an intimate vibe to the symposium, thus allowing plenty of interaction with all the artists and models. And of course there will be a great party with great food and drink on the final evening : )

Absolutely. The Sqwire's Annex is a 2000 sq. ft. factory space where all the artists and models will be working simultaneously (not in separate spaces). There will be plenty of seating and also room to walk around. Everyone will be able to get close to each of the artists and also ask as many questions as they can. And have your sketchbooks in hand, as you will surely want to capture some of the exquisite models' poses.

Yes! In the Sqwire's Annex, in addition to the main factory floor space where the 6 artists and 3 models will be working, there is a large, 540 sq. ft. mezzanine where there will be a 2-hour, uninstructed model session every afternoon for anyone interested in drawing, painting, sculpting from the nude model after having witnessed all the great action downstairs in the main space. On the mezzanine you cannot see the lower space, but you can still hear what is going on.

In the main space, since there will certainly be a lot of circulation around the floor, there will not be space to set up your travel easels and such, but anything handheld will be perfect (ie: sketch books, drawing pads, etc).

For this inaugural year, The Figure Society will not be providing easels / drawing boards / sculpture stands / tables for supplies / etc, but you are welcome to bring your own portable setup if you like.

No. In order to assure a healthy environment for all attendees, it is prohibited for any artists to use solvents on the premises of The Figure Society Symposium. This includes Gamsol, Rublesol, turpentine, mineral spirits, odorless mineral spirits, damar varnish, etc. Any varnishing, spray fixatives, spray varnishes, etc must be used outside.

Thursday, March 26th:

9 AM doors open. Artists and models work from 10 AM - 1 PM. Two-hour lunch break. Artists and models work from 3 PM - 5 PM. Separate model session for anyone interested in working from the live model on their own (no extra charge). 6 PM doors close.

Friday March 27th:

9:30 AM doors open. Artists and models work from 10 AM - 1 PM. Two-hour lunch break. Artists and models work from 3 PM - 5 PM. Separate model session for anyone interested in working from the live model on their own (no extra charge). 6 PM doors close.

Saturday March 28th:

9:30 AM doors open. Artists and models work from 10 AM - 1 PM. Two-hour lunch break. Artists and models work from 3 PM - 5 PM. Separate model session for anyone interested in working from the live model on their own (no extra charge). Break until 7 PM. Dinner banquet 7 PM - 11 PM. P A R T Y ! !

Of course! BUT only during model breaks, meal breaks, and after hours. Respecting the intimacy of the beautiful models posing for us is crucial, thus no photography, video, or recording is allowed by the attendees during any times when models are posing nude.

The Figure Society will have professional photographers and videographers on site who will be fully briefed on respecting the sensitivity of the event. These hired professionals are the only individuals authorized to photograph or film while the artists are working from the nude models.

We wanted to catch your attention there : )

The Figure Society is not imposing any sort of dress code, but please do consider this:

Having the honor and privilege of working with a nude model, witnessing the precious artist-model exchange, and learning from some of the world's most accomplished artists is an exceptional occurence. As such, The Figure Society strongly recommends that each attendee have some earnest intention in his / her dress code for the symposium. This is up to each person to decide; nothing will be imposed. We kindly ask you to simply consider how incredibly unique this opportunity is for everyone involved, and dress as per your preferences.

Yes! TWO hotels actually, both a very short car ride to the symposium. Be sure to tell them you are coming for The Figure Society, and you will get a nice discount on your room reservation:

For the Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites St. Louis Downtown, 2144 Market Street, St. Louis, MO 63103, you can call 314-499-0100 to reserve. The direct hotel link is here.

For the Courtyard by Marriott St Louis Downtown West at 2340 Market St, St. Louis, MO 63103:

Either call 800.228.9290 and reference The Figure Society Room Block, or click on this reservation link:

Via email at admin@thefiguresociety.com or via our Instagram @thefiguresociety

See you in March!

Yes, please be sure to read the Terms of service to get more details about the event. A lot of it was covered in these FAQ, but there are some other goodies worth knowing. Thank you so much for your interest and support!