Artful Bras, And Now Boxers,

Returning For Two-Day Ann’s Place Fundraiser

By Shannon Hicks

Newtown United LLC is well into its preparations for its second annual Artful Bras show. This year’s event has a number of changes and additions, however, according to committee leaders Rosemary Rau, Marianne Scanlon, and Marie Sturdevant.

“2 By 2: The Artful Bras & Boxers Show” will be presented on Saturday, October 1, at The Alexandria Room at Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main Street. This year’s event will run from 7 to 10 pm, and include about three dozen artfully decorated bras and boxers — the boxers being the most obvious addition to last year’s program, which only offered artfully decorated bras — and it will be within a cabaret setting.

Last year’s inaugural event featured 67 bras that were turned from functional fashion that is meant to be hidden under a layer or two of clothing into works of art that deserve to be hung proudly by those who placed the winning bids during the gala event.

Women worked together and on their own (in all but two cases it was women who stepped up to decorate bras last year) to honor friends and family members who have battled breast cancer. Many artists used humor when naming their finished works: Alison Cummings used wood patterning to cover her bra, which was offered with a matching set of wood beads, and had the name “Faux Bois,” or “false bra” in French; Myrna Mills Albino’s “Ob-La-De, Ob-La-Bra: The Peace Bra” was covered with miniature peace signs, flowers and tie-dyed materials; and Nancy Swift used a casino theme to cover her bra, named “Lucky Pair.”

Other works from 2010 included Patricia Barkman’s “Wish Fulfillment,” featuring more than a dozen chicken wishbones and one pink ribbon artfully arranged around the cups of a strapless bra, and “Thing 1 and Thing 2,” a salute by Hillary Lewis to Dr Seuss, to “Worth Every Cent,” a penny-covered brassiere done by Nancy Larin.

The two rare cases of men becoming bratistas (Ms Rau’s name for the bra artists) were “Round Mountain Peeks,” a patchwork covered piece with eyes painted onto each cup, by Gale and Jim McNamara, and “Toy Chest,” in which one very young man gave up some of his playthings and worked with his mother to create an Artful Bra. Artists have been keeping in touch with Mrs Rau on their progress in recent weeks, and finished items have begun arriving at her home. The final drop-off date is September 19, which will allow time for this year’s program to be created and printed before the evening event.

On October 1, guests will be invited to sit among a number of tables in The Alexandria Room, with  serves bringing the evening’s hors d’oeuvres and desserts to the tables, another change.

Live music will be performed by the jazz band Boplicity, as well as by vocalist Valerie Caraluzzi.

Boplicity members are Gregg Baimel (tenor saxophone and clarinet), Duane Berge (piano), Paul Fadus (trumpet), Warren McGuire (guitar), Michael Paes (bass), Bob Paquette (drums) and Robert Rabinowitz (alto saxophone and flute). Mr Rabonowitz has also promised to handle some of the evening’s emcee duties.

The band performs everything from cool jazz, hot jazz and bebop to Big Band, blues, funk, fusion, Latin rock and swing, standards and originals, classic arrangements and original arrangements.

Members been performing in various groups for many years, and love and respect the music they play. Various members of Boplicity have played at the Kennedy Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) and even CBGBs and have played in bands such as Loyola University Jazz Ensemble, Western Connecticut University Jazz Band, Sonny Carroll Big Band, The Clark Eno Jazz Orchestra, Brookfield Brass Quartet, Funkestra, The Styrenes, and Danbury Brass Band.

The decorated bras and boxers will be sold through live and silent auction this year, with some bras introduced by way of models — women wearing primarily black will don the decorated boxers over their clothing, while men wearing black will do the same with the decorated bras.

A larger percentage of the decorated items will be modeled this year than the 12 bras that were modeled last year.

“The crowd loved [the live auction of the bras] so much, the interaction was so well received last year, that we are going to expand it out,” Rosemary Rau said this week.

In addition to the decorated garments, “2 By 2: The Artful Bras & Boxers Show” will feature a live auction of four “luxury items,” as Mrs Rau describes them. She does not want to divulge all secrets, but is willing to say that one of the items is a full day of pampering at Avancé Esthétiques, the European day spa located within Sand Hill Plaza; and a special lot she is calling “Double Shot,” which offers two bottles of fine scotch and a crystal decanter.

Dr Richard Coopersmith, “who I hear is quite good at this,” said Mrs Rau, will serve as the auctioneer.

In addition to everything else, guests will have the opportunity to purchase a 2012 Artful Bra Show calendar, which offers photos of every bra created for the inaugural 2010 event, as well as photos of the bras that were modeled by last year’s 12 “Men in Black.” The calendars are $15 each.

Tickets for “2 By 2: The Artful Bras & Boxers Show” are $50 per person, and advance reservations are strongly encouraged. Contact Mrs Rau, who reports that tickets are selling quickly, at 203-426-2226.

Tickets cover admission into the event, the live entertainment and the refreshments.

“It’s going to be wonderful. Everyone will have a good time, and Ann’s Place will benefit, as well,” said Mrs Rau. “And that’s the best part of all of this.”

On Sunday, October 2, “2 By 2: Artful Bras & Boxers will continue in The Alexandria Room from noon to 3 pm, with the public invited, offering one last look at the decorated undergarments before they head home with their new owners. In addition, regional artisans and crafters will have a marketplace set up, and dancers from The Lathrop School of Dance will be offering a performance. The 2012 Artful Bra Show calendars will also be available if they do not sell out on Saturday night (just over two dozen are left as of this week, according to Mrs Rau).

Admission for Sunday is $5 per person, payable at the door, although ages 16 and under will be admitted for free.

Proceeds from both events will be donated to Ann’s Place, The Home of I Can, a Danbury-based organization which provides services for men, women, children, and families who are coping with the diagnosis of cancer.