Call to art for Naughti Gras, with naughty free mp3s

Okay, I wouldn't call this my best stab at erotic art, this silly phallic image copied from some ancient artifact at The Louvre, but it's just about as close as you get to erotic in my oeuvre, which consists mostly of the faces of people drinking beer.

Why am I thinking about erotic art on the eve of the MLK holiday, mere hours before the historic Barack Obama inaguration? Because I want to share the call for art for Naughti Gras 2009 ... and because I am a contrarian on my personal time.

As a parent, I'm making sure my kid knows all about Dr. King and Obama. She surely does. As a professional, I'll make sure The St. Louis American publishes a dignified historic edition of the paper on Thursday. We surely will. And on my personal time, I'm going to be a little irreverent and offbeat.

So, anyway, Naughti Gras is back! Naughti Gras is an Erotic Art Exhibition held right before Mardi Gras at the Koken Art Factory(2500 Ohio Avenue). The event goes down Saturday, February 14 (7 p.m. - 1 a.m.), admission five (bearded) clams - but only for those who are street legal (18+).

Timeline for artists:

January 25 - Submission Deadline
February 2 - Acceptance Notification
February 6-7 - Art Drop-Off.

The Submission Guidelines are rather detailed and available online. I'm also going to agree with event organizers that artists had best understand obscenity laws in Missouri before submitting signed work. After all, this is Missouri. And there are obscenity laws.

You've got to like the curatorial criteria, though: "Our main criteria are, 'Is it erotic?' closely followed by 'Is it good?' We'll admit, some art goes way over the edge; if you can shock us, you will most likely end up on the wall."

I'm not submitting any art for the show, I ain't got anything erotic, but here is some music that might get working artists in the, a'hem, mood. The mood, that is, to go over the edge.

Free mp3s

"Honk If You're Horny"
(Jim Saltsider)
Bloody Ebsen
Unreleased

South Side altcountryrock legend Jim Saltsider (Rugburn), leading his last local project before he moved to the desert, with bumperstickers on his mind.

"Bearded Clams"
(Dug Hagen)
The Foolish Virgins
Unreleased

I think Saltsider was in on this thing, too - anyone who fronted a band called "Rugburn" deserves multiple appearance in a Naughti Gras posting! Thanks to Mike Burgett for this and the preceding. Burgett is on this.

"Alice of Eleven Dresses"
(Leo Connellan)
Leo Connellan
From Crossing America

Please note, before you play this in mixed company, that this is the tale of a bum date-raping a bag lady. Let me say that again: THIS IS THE TALE OF A BUM DATE-RAPING A BAG LADY. Produced by Lij and me, on the first Poetry Scores CD, still available at independent shops in St. Louis and wherever my car is parked.