Independent Arts News Reporting 
Pictured Above: Naked in New Hope at New Hope Arts during Opening Night in May. Photo Credit: New Hope Arts Facebook page.
A Revival of Nude Art: Inside the Curation and Staging of Naked in New Hope 2026
By: Jasmine Spero
In her latest article, writer Jasmine Spero uncovers the revived Naked in New Hope returns to New Hope Arts with 100 works by 92 artists, bringing painting, sculpture, drawing and photography into conversation around the nude form.
The 2026 edition of Naked in New Hope brings 100 works of painting, drawing, sculpture and photography to New Hope Arts in the exhibition’s second year since its revival.
The show traces its roots to Sidetracks Gallery, which staged the original nude exhibition before it went dormant in 2018. That silence ended in March 2024, when Christine Ramirez stepped into the role of Executive Director at New Hope Arts.
“By reviving the show, we’re not trying to recreate the past exactly. We’re carrying forward that fearless spirit into the present,” said Ramirez.
Beneath the town’s quaint image, Naked in New Hope points to an artistic culture invested in creating dialogue in which both the artist and the viewer are asked to look more closely at the body, identity and expression.
Juror Johanna Furst, last year’s painting award winner, reviewed a record number of submissions before selecting the final lineup.
To maintain a balanced gallery, Ramirez noted that the blind selection process required objectivity.
“Don’t pick something just because you would want it on your own wall––really look at it as, is it a good piece of art?” Ramirez said, describing what Furst does when jurying.
After the selection process, Ramirez began by hanging the largest works, then built the exhibition outward from there, grouping pieces by color, texture, subject matter, and visual dialogue. With works by 92 artists, she said the goal is not to neatly separate artists, but to let the pieces speak to one another across the room.
“I’m always setting it up for the viewer’s eyes,” Ramirez said. “I don’t just put things up on the wall to put them up on the wall. There’s almost always a conversation happening between pieces around each other.”
That arrangement gives the exhibition a sense of movement, allowing viewers to encounter the nude form across a wide range of media, moods and interpretations rather than through a single lens.
Pictured Above: Christina Galagarza during opening night of Naked in New Hope at New Hope Arts in May. Photo Credit: Jasmine Spero.
Featured artist Christina Galagarza’s Warrior Artist mirrors the exhibition’s sense of transformation. The painting evolved over four years in her home studio, where she worked without a photo reference, eventually revealing a self-portrait within the brushstrokes.
“I eventually just felt like I was looking in a mirror,” Galagarza said. “I was painting my likeness until I saw my likeness.”
This moment of recognition capped a process marked by profound personal upheaval. To channel this chaos, Galagarza introduced a hand-forged sugarcane machete and a dense, earthy background to signify her strength as a warrior.
“There are a lot of themes of just raking through your own mud, clearing the path, and moving forward,” Galagarza said. “It’s all so messy and it sucks, but I would rather transform it into something meaningful — a reminder of the future.”
Naked in New Hope at New Hope Arts is on view now through June 7th. More at NewHopeArts.org
