Breasts have been bared in the name of art for as long as man has been making art. So why not create art in the name of breast health as well? That’s the idea behind the gallery show at 40 Acres Gallery located in Oak Park.

The fourth annual Art Bra Show will run from Sept. 8-17. More than 150 pieces of art from 100 area artists will be featured.

“Every year we increase the amount of art and quality,” said Kelly Siefkin, spokeswoman for Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services. “I think it’s really grown in terms of scope. A lot more people in the community are aware of it. A lot of people love attending it.”

The Art Bra Show will feature sculptures, collages and paintings that are inspired by breast cancer.

"What's Your Cup Size?" (Image by: Tony Natsoulas) “Every piece of art will have a bra or a symbol of a bra. Sometimes they’re hidden, and sometimes they are very visible,” Siefkin said.

This year, contributing artists including post-funk artist Tony Natsoulas, Sandora Nishio and Marjorie Morbitzer of Sacramento will be donating their work.

Natsoulas created two sculpture pieces for the Art Bra Show aimed at eliciting humor amid a serious subject.

“What’s Your Cup Size?” features a pink breast placed in a lime green coffee cup. His other sculptural piece, “Hey, I’m Up Here” features a pair of breasts with glasses on.

Natsoulas said that he has had close friends who have been affected by breast cancer.

"Hey, I'm Up Here" (Image by: Tony Natsoulas) “They’ve all survived so far. I haven’t had anyone die on me yet,” he said.

Chico-based artist Sandora Nishio used acrylic paints to create her subject, the star-flower. Her star-flower is poised in the sky and over the ocean. Two petals on her star-flower form a bra. Nishio said that the piece is a dedication to women who have been affected by breast cancer.

“My mother-in-law passed away from breast cancer a couple of years ago and it adds another personal layer of significance to it,” Nishio said. “Any time you can give back and your creativity can benefit in a social way, it’s pretty neat.”

"Star-flower Petals" (Image by: Sandora Nishio) Marjorie Morbitzer, an artist based in Oak Park contributed a ceramic sculptural piece called “Marian the Librarian.”

Morbitzer is a scientist by profession but creates sculptural pieces on the side. She said it took a week and half to make her art bra piece. 

Organizers will raise money through a silent auction from 5 - 9 p.m. Sept. 10 during a Second Saturday Art Walk reception for the Art Bra Show. Each of the displayed art bra pieces will be put up for auction. There will be bid sheets next to the artwork.

"Marian the Librarian" (Image by: Marjorie Morbitzer) This year organizers are expecting to raise $10,000 through the silent auction, according to Helen Plenert, Women’s Wisdom art program manager. Women’s Wisdom is a nonprofit organization that provides art resources, including supplies and studio space to women through Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services.

The Sacramento Food Bank and the Albie Aware Breast Cancer Foundation, which provides free mammograms to women who do not have the resources to get regular breast exams, is sponsoring the art show. Viewing is free to the public.

40 Acres Gallery is located at 3428 Third Ave.