Arts Planner: A discussion of beauty, Picasso and a romcom

Body talk at 701 CCA

Last week, toy maker Mattel announced that Barbie now comes in tall, curvy and petite varieties. The overhaul of the stick-thin original Barbie comes after years of criticism that the doll reinforced unrealistic beauty standards.

It’s a step in the right direction toward promoting normal body images, but the way society shapes women’s ideas of what they should look like remains complicated.

A panel discussion at 701 Center for Contemporary Art on Sunday addresses some of those issues. “Fashioning Our Bodies: A Conversation on Size, Shape, and Fashion” is an interactive talk with four Columbia professionals whose work deals with our perceptions of physical ideals. The discussion works in conjunction with Charleston artist Kristy Bishop’s exhibition, “Bound” at 701 CCA.

Bishop’s work features hand-sewed corsets, crinolines and bum rolls accompanied by photographs of women wearing them over contemporary clothes. In a press release, she said her intention is to show constructions that physically represent the pressure women go through to create an ideal body image. Clothes are one of those pressures.

“We no longer wear these foundation garments on a day-to-day basis, yet there are pressures coming from every outlet to still achieve the ideal figure that is currently in vogue,” she said.

The panelists will be Allison Marsh, an assistant professor in the USC Department of History who studies how everyday items convey information about our past; Sallie Boggs, a senior instructor in the USC Department of Retailing and co-curator of a McKissick Museum exhibition on T-shirts and their social messages; psychologist and social worker Sue Nelson; and artist Michaela Pilar Brown, who is known for exploring ethnicity and body issues in her work.

“Fashioning Our Bodies: A Conversation on Size, Shape, and Fashion” is 3 p.m. Sunday at 701 CCA, 701 Whaley St. Free. www.701cca.org

OTHER ARTS EVENTS AROUND THE MIDLANDS

‘Appropriate’ at Trustus Theatre

Winner of the 2014-15 Obie Award for Best American Play, the show is a portrait of an American family that confronts its past as members gather to settle the accounts the newly dead patriarch.

Through Saturday at Trustus, 520 Lady St. $30; student, senior and military discounts available. www.trustus.org

‘The Mystery of Picasso’

As part of its Art Docs series, The Nickelodeon Theatre will screen the 1986 documentary, “The Mystery of Picasso,” with live accompaniment from seven local and regional bands.

6:30 p.m. Tuesday at The Nick, 1607 Main St. $10, $9 for students. (803) 254-3433, www.nickelodeon.org

‘Saturday Night Fever: The Musical’

Based on the 1977 movie starring John Travolta as disco king Tony Manero, “Saturday Night Fever: The Musical” is packed with hits from the Bee Gees, including “Stayin’ Alive,” “Night Fever” and “You Should Be Dancing,” in addition to several new songs written especially for the production.

3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Monday at Newberry Opera House, 1201 McKibben St., Newberry. $45. www.newberryoperahouse.com

‘Roman Holiday’ screening

Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn romp through Rome in this Oscar-winning romantic comedy. The movie will include sweets and bubbly before the screening.

Dessert at 7 p.m. and screening at 8 p.m. Saturday at Harbison Theatre at Midlands Technical College, 7300 College St., Irmo. $17. (803) 407-5011 www.harbisontheatre.org/

This story was originally published February 5, 2016 at 11:30 AM with the headline "Arts Planner: A discussion of beauty, Picasso and a romcom."