Everything from colorful canvases to detailed collages and vivid videos covered the Crater Lake North Room in the Erb Memorial Union on Feb. 25. The University of Oregon’s Counseling Center hosted it’s sixth annual All Sizes Fit Art Gala. This year, there were 20 art pieces created by 18 different artists from the Eugene community and University of Oregon students and faculty.
The All Sizes Fit Art Gala is an artistic celebration of body positivity and acceptance of bodies of all sizes, shapes, skin colors, hair textures, abilities and genders. This gala gives artists the opportunity to cultivate pieces that represent their own view of body positivity, whether it be to help themselves personally or for others. The rules for submissions are simple: as long as the art is not offensive and represents a form of body positivity, it is welcomed for consideration to be a part of the gala. The confines of what constitutes body positivity are not very specific. “Part of the whole point of All Sizes Fit is to celebrate all bodies and celebrate diverse bodies,” said Suzie Stadelman, the center’s education prevention outreach and suicide prevention coordinator.
“I think that sometimes just to talk about body positivity is just to admit a vulnerability that you’re maybe not always body positive,” said Kelley Sullivan, a member of the student advisory board for the UO Counseling Center. “I think that can be kind of scary but once you start talking about it, you can see that everyone else has insecurities too,”
The All Sizes Fit program, which launched nine years ago, spans across many different parts of campus and student groups. The Duck Nest, UO Rec Center and the Womxn of Color Coalition all run All Sizes Fit programs.
“The goal is to promote body positivity and acceptance and to focus on health at every size, which is focusing on moving your body in a way that is joyful and practicing intuitive eating,” said Stadelman.
This year’s collection included two video pieces, several paintings, collages, a few sculptures, digital art pieces, drawings and photography. Some of the pieces are a celebration of self and others emphasize ways that body acceptance and positivity can be practiced.
This year’s second place winner, graduate student Nathan Mather, drew himself and his partner enjoying a cup of coffee together on a couch. The piece is intimate and personal yet relatable to the greater public. “I wanted to do something showing male identified bodies in feminine positions,” Mather said. “So I drew my partner and I sitting in the most effeminate postures and wearing jewelry and just having this very soft moment.”
Artist Keli Trudeau, a freshman at UO, created a large digital poster of different people of different sizes, genders, skin colors with “you are beautiful” written across the top and bottom of the poster.
“You see so much body positivity art without very many guys included and I think that they need to be represented. So I included women, men and non-binary people because I feel that everyone needs to be represented and included,” Trudeau said.
The All Sizes Fit Art Gala occurs every winter term and any student or community member is welcome to submit art for consideration.
“I think that there is sometimes an assumption that if someone looks a certain way or appears a certain way that they don’t struggle with their image, but I think that the struggle with body image is a universal experience,” Stadelman said.
Attendees are encouraged to add their own contributions on note cards. The All Sizes Fit Art Gala is displayed in the EMU on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, Ore. on Feb. 25, 2020. The gala displays artwork created by UO students intended to increase body positivity and acceptance. (Maddie Knight/Emerald)
