Stand by ladies! Twelve nude males will soon be here, each of whom will be available for a whole month to titillate or amuse you. Chances are you will know all or some of them.

In what could possibly be the ultimate eye test, the Bermuda Arts Centre at Dockyard (BACD) has come up with a novel fund-raiser that has all the hallmarks of being a winner.

Specifically, twelve male artists stripped down to their birthday suits for professional photographer Charles Anderson, as a result of which a 12-month calendar for 2005 is about to roll off the press. Before the censors think about swooping, however, coordinator of the project Jonah Jones, who is also one of the models, hastens to assure that the photography is, er, tasteful (or is it ?tasty??). Strategically placed carefully conceal what some might call ?the naughty bits?.

?The artists who were brave enough to disrobe are all members of, and show their work at, the BACD, and they are of all colours, shapes, sizes and ages,? Mr. Jones says.

?Charles Anderson ? himself one of the models ? generously agreed to donate the photography. He spent a considerable amount of time on each shot, and they are cleverly and wittily done. He has done a really, really good job. We tried to put the artists in their natural environments ? where they normally produce their work. For example, as a member of the plein air group, I was photographed working on location with my easel carefully placed.?

So just who are the other latter day pin-ups?

Vernon Clarke, Dan Dempster, Vaughan Evans, Graham Foster, Jason Jones, Jon Leg?re, Manuel Palacio, Andra Simons, Bruce Stuart and Glenn Wilks.

With the steady downturn in tourism, Hurricane Fabian and other problems, the BACD has suffered a loss in income, and has been turning its attention to additional ways of generating much-needed revenue.

The idea for the calendar came as a result of a chance remark made in jest at a BACD exhibition opening.

?A group of artists were talking about the film, ?Calendar Girls?, and Charles Anderson jokingly said, ?We should do that at the Arts Centre?,? Mr. Jones remembers. ?My wife, Jo Stanton, said, ?We really should do it?, so what started off as a joke became a real project.?

Photographs in the calendar will be printed in black and white because the organisers ?didn?t want it to be pornographic or corny, but somewhat arty?.

?David Hill has been responsible for the graphics, and the calendar is being printed the Bermuda Press Ltd.,? Mr. Jones says. ?While printing in Bermuda is expensive, we were keen to have it printed locally, and we have been given a special rate, for which we are most grateful. Chris Mitchell has been very helpful and we thank him.?

The calendar is expected to be available shortly, and will only be sold at the Bermuda Arts Centre at Dockyard. For further information ( 234-2809.