Art gallery covers breasts for window shoppers

Behind the glass walls of Mayer Fine Art, a gallery inside Waterside Festival Marketplace, air currents rustled the disposable plates covering breasts on a drawing.

The Styrofoam plates were there because late last week, after a visitor complained about an image featuring exposed breasts, gallery owner Sheila Giolitti was asked by Waterside management to put the artwork in a less conspicuous spot. Since she could find none, she improvised

"I think it's a ridiculous concern and should be treated as such," she said, stressing that she was irritated with the complainer, not the management. "This nude is so tame."



When the drawing was brought to their attention, visitors expressed widely varying opinions. "I just feel like a woman's private parts are hers," said Jane Bruno, 42, of Suffolk, who added that she would rather not see exposed breasts in public.

"Because it is art, it doesn't offend me that way," said Jaz Brown, 26, a Virginia Beach construction worker on a break. "Art is trying to capture the person. I think it's beautiful."

"What about little kids, though?" said his co-worker, Daniel Pitino, 35, of Virginia Beach. "Not sure. Not sure."