Boys in Bras

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BRAvo Art Auction this Thursday at the Sheridan Bar.

There’s no doubt that this is one of the most fun events of the fall season—men wearing decorated bras, strutting down the runway, with crowds of people catcalling and bidding—but the BRAvo Art Auction also has a serious mission. Just like a good bra, the art auction supports two things: San Miguel Resource Center and Bosom Buddies, a breast cancer support group.

BRAvo, in its seventh year, has become a unique creative outlet for artists. The Ah Haa School for the Arts gives brassieres to artists, who decorate and adorn them and turn them into fashion statements. The models, firefighters, law enforcement officials, and other service workers, all males, dress up in the bras and showcase them. It’s raucous good fun for two good causes, and this year, the event takes place at 7:30 p.m. at the Sheridan Bar on October 13.

The San Miguel Resource Center is the region’s only nonprofit dedicated to eliminating interpersonal violence in the region. Bosom Buddies is a breast cancer support group that provides emotional and financial support to individuals living in small communities in southwestern Colorado affected by breast cancer.

Telluride is a talented community, and at no time is this more apparent than in the bras people submit for the BRAvo fundraiser each year: Everything from bottle caps, to paint, felt, even keys and electronics have adorned the undergarments Ah Haa provides.

And the men who model the bras are equally colorful and uninhibited. Why men? Because breast cancer affects their mothers, daughters, sisters, and wives. Having guys be the models allows them to become an active part of the event, turning the tables in a fun and festive way. The crowd also gets to join in the revelry, by bidding on the garments and art in both a live and a silent auction.