Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, May 8, 2003; Page C05
Organized labor isn't a radical idea these days, unless maybe you're in David Quammen's line of work.
Quammen is a nude figure model who poses regularly for area art classes. And when the posing gets
tough, the tough get organized.
"When I first got involved in [figure modeling] there was no place to go for any kind of learning," the
63-year-old explains. "I wanted to put an organization together that could provide a venue for models to
meet each other and receive some kind of training."
So last year Quammen founded the Figure Models Guild, an organization designed to help nude figure
models approach their work more professionally.
The organization is not a labor union, but rather a guild in the traditional sense, one that provides
members with an opportunity to share their experiences and expertise.
But is there an expertise to baring it all?
Quammen thinks so. "The right model can make a big difference in the artist's creativity," he says.
Some models never show up on time, while others can never seem to hold a pose. Quammen heard
these complaints about his colleagues after taking his first modeling job at the Art League in
Alexandria three years ago.
Having previously worked in the electronics industry and public advocacy, he was looking for
something new to occupy his time when a newspaper article about figure drawing piqued his interest.
According to Quammen, most models are looking for an additional source of income, and find work
through classified ads. Colleges and art schools often hire inexperienced models for anywhere
between $7 and $20 an hour. This system creates a stream of unreliable newcomers who can make a
bad name for all models, Quammen says.
Meredith McGroarty, 24, began modeling in recent years to help pay off her student loans and says
she's benefited from her participation in the guild.
"There's a helter-skelter nature in trying to recruit figure models," McGroarty says. "There was no
central place to go for a pool of models, no mechanism of accountability."
The Models Guild is starting to remedy that situation, she says.
"We agree to certain tenets and publicize it to schools," she adds. "That way, the schools get someone
who won't duck out on them and we get good jobs."
These tenets include dependability, punctuality, general professionalism and skill -- there is art,
apparently, in the ability to hold a pose.
The guild meets at the MOCA Gallery in Georgetown on the first Sunday of each month to discuss
work-related issues; the topics can range from "the business of modeling" to "the model as
exhibitionist." Artists are also welcome at meetings, which are followed by an open modeling session
in which artists are free to draw or paint from the figure.
"It's been very helpful to learn what artists are looking for," McGroarty says of the meetings. "It's a
learning experience on both ends."
The guild has certainly been a positive experience for model Gregory Wilkins. "It's led me to gigs, it's
helped me in a professional mode, how to deal with ethical issues when working with an artist privately
and even improving my poses," says the 36-year-old.
Guild members are also listed in its "Model Registry," a guide for area arts programs looking for new
models. The registry includes a physical description and head shot of all 46 models in the guild.
Art programs at both American University and Catholic University have hired models from the registry.
"It's quite a cottage industry here in D.C.," says Chris Naffziger, model coordinator at AU.
But not one that's producing the guild any revenue. Membership is free, says Quammen, who covers all
the group's expenses, including a monthly newsletter.
He distributes the newsletter, "Artists and Models," at local arts supply stores. It features artist profiles,
modeling opportunities and community news.
"I take a grandiose approach, even though these are small things I'm doing," Quammen says. "I think
big."
Big enough to someday address labor issues like health insurance and fair pay?