Sex sells. Make it the theme of an art show, and it’ll fundraise too.
Venus Envy, a local sex shop and bookstore on Bank Street, held its second annual “Filthy, Dirty Art Show” on Jan. 3 to collect donations towards its Venus Envy Bursary Fund. In addition to the show, the shop also took the opportunity to celebrate its 14th anniversary in Ottawa.
“Including art at Venus Envy, I think it’s a really great way to pull in community and do outreach,” said Kandace Price, operations and events manager for the organization.
According to Price, the show raised more than $500, which Venus Envy will put toward two annual bursaries, awarded to students in need who are studying in the Ottawa, Carleton, and Outaouais area.
Recipients of the bursaries, valued at $1,500 each, must demonstrate interest in supporting their communities, as well as working against oppression and to promote sex positivity. In addition to the art shows, Venus Envy throws several additional parties a year to raise funds for bursaries.
The event included the works of 14 different artists from the Ottawa area, all of whom contributed “sexy” works of art. Mediums included paintings and drawings, but also sculpture, photography, and textiles, all of which reflected the night’s themes of healthy and diverse sexuality.
Artist Sagine Cavé, a former Carleton student, attended the show, providing the promotional piece for the event. A long-time friend of Price, she has collaborated with Venus Envy on several occasions.
Cavé described her personal artistic style as “fun, feminine, and witty,” which shows in her use of bright, vibrant hues and punchy graphic-like images.
“I feel like I have a few images that are iconic to people,” Cavé said. “I use images that people understand. I just try to add sex to it without it being two people making love on a table somewhere. It was just my way to make it ‘user-friendly.’”
For artists whose works are more open about displaying sexuality, the “Filthy Dirty Art Show” also serves as a safe space for them to display their talents.
“The reason why I think it’s also great to do a show like this is a lot of the artists will tell us that there’s not a lot of places where they can show super sexy art, especially for ones who do more pieces like erotic photography,” Price explained.
“The people who don’t go outside their usual comfort zone, they were saying that there are not often places where they can show art like this in a public space. So they’re really appreciative that Venus Envy provided that space, and I think that folks see us as being a sex-positive space.”
