The Naked Truth, an art exhibit on nudes scheduled for November, will not be shown at the Bainbridge Public Library meeting room.

The reason is simple, said Linda Meier, volunteer coordinator for the monthly art exhibits for over 20 years.

“Because the room and the library itself attracts a wide range of users, including many small children, it was decided that nude figures would be inappropriate for the space during regular library hours,” Meier says in an email.

But artist Margaret Niemann, for one, isn’t happy with the decision. “I was amazed that such censorship exists in the 21st century,” she wrote in an email. Niemann says she’s been part of the Strawberry Hill Artists Group for 15 years, and it hadn’t been censored before.

“Is this still Victorian time?” Niemann asked, adding they had to change their show at the last minute to things like florals and landscapes.

Meier says the Strawberry Hill Artists Group wanted to do the same thing last year and after discussion, they came to a compromise.

“The artists showed many very tasteful and lovely pieces involving life figures for their First Friday reception and continued to display other work during the month on the walls,” Meier’s email says.

She added, the exhibit was well attended and had successful sales, so much so that the artists are back again with a First Friday opening reception Nov. 3 from 5-7 p.m.

Meier says the popularity of the exhibits and desire to display there has grown significantly. The opportunity to display is available to any community member and provides a space for artists who are not associated with a regular gallery.

She says the Strawberry Hill Artists are in a life drawing class together, but they are a diverse group and do other kinds of work as well. “I continue to look for other opportunities to publicize these wonderful exhibits.”

Meier says many people don’t even know the library displays such exhibits. As a community-owned facility, we “love supporting those efforts.”

Niemann says she would love to know what the public thinks about this because when she mentions it to others, “They are shocked by the censorship.”

The artist group is made up of about a dozen people from their 50s to their 80s and is connected to the BI Metro Parks & Recreation District. They hire unclothed models from Seattle to pose each week. Their mediums include: pen and ink, oil, pastel and watercolor.

“Our styles are quite varied from abstract to impressionistic and non/objective,” Niemann says.