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Cas

@smollfigure

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Gender nonconforming figure model &
Host of Historic Portraiture @loov_the
❣️trans bodies are art &resistance
NXT
10/21 SPOOKY BIRTHDAY HPN @loov_the

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

chest pieces ⚧️ nearly two years post op via work from Massart students and @lifedrawingboston

a fresh horror crops up evry day from some government of non trans people saying trans people aren't real or aren't worth protecting or are monster goblins out to get women and children yada yada. i think about this when i model at colleges or young community art centers - is my nakedness and my body gender ideology? does it harm? does it help? does it reveal? The tenderness i receive from students, facility, artists who thank me for being there, representing themself or their loved one or providing a new body they've never seen or imagined - that's real.

when i'm tired and depleted and can't do anymore all i think of is resistance by existence. every breath i take in this body takes air out of their argument. every year i live in joy and loving community with trans people is another year they fail to erase us. every time a trans person (young or not) comes to paint or sketch and sees a trans body reflected back to them, we know we aren't going anywhere. keep going. by @smollfigure

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a year ago

First painting class modeling for Massart ❤️ This was such a special moment for me modeling in front of young people who had never had their bodies as both the subject and object of art. I had multiple students come up to me during the first break and express how much it meant to see a model with aspects of their body (bigger size, fat rolls, gender affirming surgery scars) and it felt fucking awesome. I could feel the energy of the classroom shift when I started modeling, and it was so affirming for everyone there. trans bodies matter, bigger bodies matter, trans kids matter and they exist no matter who tries to legislate them out of existence. 🏳️‍⚧️

Feb 2024 by @smollfigure

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2 years ago

REJOICE FOR SPOOKY SEASON!! 🎃 👻 🥀

You know as an Oct baby I love all things spooky...and no one does that better than the Victorians (except maybe the Ancient Egyptians, well put a pin in that) so I'm suuuuper excited to have one of our most nichely knowledgeable HPN models (& author/researcher/salem local/tour guide/historic interpreter/PARANORMAL INVESTIGATOR) yet: @ghostsbooksandcats !! I was giddy when she told me about her background in this, and I can't wait for her to share her wealth of knowledge with you all!!! She's also so funny and clever, it is going to be an awesome night!

Also..... this is on MY BIRTHDAYYY 🎂 🎈 SO YOU BETTER COME!!! If you haven't gotten to one yet, this is the one I wanna see you at. Wear something spooky, bring a lil treat (if you love me), come thinking about your dearly departed ancestors, and get ready to learn some awesome spooky history 🖤

(Also get ready for us to talk a lot of shit about the W@rren M*seum.....)

This Historic Portrait Night is happening at @lifedrawingboston 72 Joy St Somerville, 6:30-9:30, right off the east somerville green line stop! by @smollfigure

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3 days ago

GUYS ITS FALL!!!! 🍂 🤤🫨🤠

I love love love autumn & October so much - not just because it's my birthday season & it's the most joyful & whimsical time when the trees show us their hidden majesty & when we eat lots of good comfort food & when we see dogs in sweaters & when i can wear all of my best jackets & see all the bougie decorations in the south end. It's also when i miss all of that bc of how many events i schedule 🧡

Last time i posted a schedule it was for all of the times i was modeling in winter - It's so cool in less than a year ive gone from just modeling to hosting, planning, producing, & running events at these very spaces (& beyond!!) The biggest shout out to what has become my home studio (so ironic considering i still! don't draw! at least not well!) @loov_the @lifedrawingboston, where I'll be hosting 4 of my 6 events. First up - VICTORIAN MOURNING CLOTHING on my BIRTHDAYYY 👻🫰 come thru and bring snacks (who's bringing my cake btw?) dress spooooookyyyy

Next is the first EVER collaboration between the figure drawing cousins of boston/somerville @bostonfigurecenter and LDB. It took gay halloween to make this happen yall. This is exciting because i've never hosted a community modeling night!!! Partnering with Sophie, Josephine, and Emerson of @queerfiguredrawingboston has been fantastic and I can't wait for folks to come and get the chance to MODEL (costumes mandatory ofc). we're having some awesome vendors back from our drag drawing night (@thebutteredtable you will always be famous) AND a performance from the one, the bloody @buckthorn.drag - if you missed his performance at the Sports Yes & Everything I Guest-hosted, it is MANDATORY that you come for this. I don't make the rules I just enforce via loudly shaming.

❗️ALLIES/boyfriends of bi girls❗️you are so welcome to come - but let's leave the modeling to the queers, eh? they're going to be dressed better 💟

ALSO ME + BLAKE'S BIRTHDAY HALLOWEEN SHOW!!!!

plus our next HPNs- TWO never before seen collaborations (expanding beyond our studio to a theatre + a historic home in JP, the Loring Greenough House) More info to come on separate posts! My caption is too long byeee!!! LOVE YO by @smollfigure

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9 days ago

The collab you all have been waiting for….

Join us (Boston Figure Art Center) for this bewitching Halloween collab with our creative neighbors at Life Drawing Boston, one night only, at The Loov!
Queer artists. Queer models. Spooky vibes.

A Halloween-themed figure drawing session for queers, by queers - Allies welcome!
 Anyone who comes can opt into a 5-20 minute modeling slot (clothed or nude or somewhere in between), in a space built around comfort and empowerment.

✍🏻 Queer figure drawing 🕸️ Spooky drag performance 🦇 Costume contest with prizes 🛍️ Haunted vendors market 🎶 Community playlist, add your own tracks!

Costumes HIGHLY encouraged!

📍 The Loov, 72 Joy Street, Somerville 📅 Friday, October 23rd 🕖 7-10pm Supplies & snacks provided

This event is taking place at The Loov, 72 Joy Street, Somerville $20 at the door | FREE for BFAC & LDB members Please note: registering online doesn’t guarantee entry, it’s first come, first served, so arrive on time to make sure you get in! by @smollfigure

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11 days ago

🪷 DESI DRESSING HISTORIC PORTRAIT NIGHT 🪷
sept 2026

Yall 🥺❤️ we had such a beautiful night last wednesday at our latest HPN with @lifedrawingboston at @loov_the, with our model @chinmayi_d showing off her grandmother's gorgeous silk Paithani Saree, handmade in Paithan, Maharashtra. 🇮🇳

Hailing from Nagpur, Maharashtra, Chinmayi showed us different ways of draping and wearing this Saree, distinguished by lotus, vining flowers, and Parrots adorning the bottom of the garment on the Pallu (decorative edge piece, pictured towards the end).

We also got to see her beautiful Lehenga and Dupatta (which unintentionally matched super well with my Kurta) I loved the rich colors - some of the artists said it reminded them of Wonder Woman (without the US imperialism).

BIG Thanks to big @davidbmichaelson for introducing us - and even BIGGER thanks to @just1pin for the beautiful photography that i didn't even ask for him to do. He's just that awesome and good. Plus, he made a chain of marigolds from the @loov_patio_garden 🌼

I'm FINALLY going to get around to posting all of the Historic Portrait Night pictures that i've gotten over the months (almost a year?!?!?), so stay tuned for more gorgeous pictures of gorgeous people in gorgeous attire 🥳💓🔆 taken in The Loov by @smollfigure

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17 days ago

ok you have all been VERY GOOD ALL SUMMER here are some hot and sultry pics of me and @charddart's Big Richard 🩷🧡💖 taken in Joy Street Studios by @smollfigure

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21 days ago

HISTORIC PORTRAIT NIGHT IS BACCCCKK!! 🪷 🇮🇳

yall!! this is the portrait night i have been plotting, scheming, hoping, DREAMING of since i started doing the HPNs!! I have wanted to show off Indian Clothing for so long - the colors? the fabrics? the embroidery?? the DRAPERY??? this is going to be such a great opportunity to capture the beauty and intricacy of these garments that don't often get to be shown off outside of special events or traditional celebrations.

So when Big Dave connected me with an awesome LDB artist, @chinmayi_d , who was wanting to model her clothing, I WAS SO PUMPED!! She's going to be modeling both a Sari and Lehenga and show us a bit of how these garments are draped and worn. I'm obviously not an expert (but I will be wearing my Kurta 🙂‍↕️), so i'm excited to learn and enjoy the beauty of these traditional (but still currently worn!) garments alongside you all ❣️

I'll also be talking a bit about my own history knowledge around western colonization, white euro-centric gender presentation, and how that affected specifically male fashion in India. super low key stuff 😅

SEND THIS TO SOMEONE YOU WANT TO SEE PAINT SOME BEAUTIFUL FABRICS! by @smollfigure

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a month ago

This is a figure drawing I did of one of my favorite models Cas!! For this piece I decided to play around with the paper by creating irregular edges via ripping the paper, as well as combining two pieces of paper at an angle to create this irregular “canvas” to draw on. The way the model was lying played heavily into the way I decided to angle the papers, and I love how both perspectives of the figure fits nicely within them. This piece is called “Intersecting Tranquility” If I were to redo this drawing, I would use better quality paper and spend more time on it if possible.

Intersecting Tranquility
Graphite on paper
April 2025

#figuredrawing #tranquil #ashleyhubner #graphite #bostonart taken in Suffolk University by @smollfigure

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2 months ago

BABY COME BACK! ⚓️ ♥️ ⛵️

The Dutch Castaway WON Audience Choice at @bostonfringe in May - we know we can bring in a sea-swept crowd 🤭

We had to welcome back and thank the folks who supported us in May with a discount code to come back and see our new beautiful home at @loov_the, a fully staged production with full lights by the team of our jack of all trades @oliver_rizzo and @just1pin , the unmatched @annatdrummond building a beautiful soundscape, stage managed by our playwright and dramaturg @lewdalfred and @justinpeavey, directed and co-produced with moi and @lifedrawingboston. PLUS: Talk backs post every show and pre show music with our wonderful local artists @ricky_mcnamara_iii and @cautionarytale.band 🎵

YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS OUT! Support your local sensitive gay sailors and revisit the heart-wrenchingly beautiful story of Leendert Hasenbosh, a sailor marooned on a deserted island for the crime of loving another man. by @smollfigure

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2 months ago

“The Dutch Castaway” by Lawrence Gullo debuts at @loov_the August 14th-16th , fully staged and with an extended script after sweeping The People’s Choice at Boston Fringe 2026. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at early rehearsals in the space with actors Lemaris Bell, Sebastian Crane, and Zach Fuller.

This heartbreakingly beautiful tale of 18th century queerness
directed by Cas Berta @smollfigure will transform the Somerville art studio into a desolate beach in the middle of the Atlantic in the year 1726, where two British sailors are haunted by the spectre of a Dutchman marooned for the crime of loving another man…

See it live at The Loov or attend virtually. Both types of tickets can be purchased via the link in the bio of @thedutchcastaway .
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#bostontheater #18thcentury #indietheatre #lgbtqhistory #newplay by @smollfigure

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3 months ago

It’s NOT a comedy, but silly sells.

See our indie-produced period piece virtually for $10 or attend live in Somerville, MA 8/14-8/16. Link for both tickets in bio… 🎟️

This 40 minute queer historic drama by Lawrence Gullo returns with the original cast after its award-winning Boston Fringe debut for a weekend of fully-staged performances directed by Cas Berta.

🌊THE DUTCH CASTAWAY🌊
The year is 1726. Two English sailors must translate the abandoned diary of a Dutch man marooned for the crime of loving another man. As they read his words, a haunting presence manifests upon the beach with them and they find themselves compelled to confess the secrets of their hearts. Based on a real queer historical document and uncompromisingly tender, this one-act illuminates affection, sorrow, and intergenerational bonds between men who love men.
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#bostontheater #gayhistory #somerville #thedutchcastaway queerhistory by @smollfigure

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3 months ago