The future of (public) nude dancing in Iowa depends on the legal answer to one question: is stripping art? Iowa's strip clubs performing arts centers are under legal attack, after an underage patron's performance sparked a court battle. Iowa's public indecent exposure laws forbid all-nude strip clubs, but artists still dance naked at "performing art centers."
Back in 2001, the underage niece of a sheriff decided to bare all at the establishment Shotgun Geniez, dragging the owner into court to argue that the law does not apply here because it exempts theater, concert hall, art center, and museum performances.
The club in question, which usually prevents under 18 year olds from entering, sells posters and provides sketch pads for patrons. While the owner argues that she did not violate Iowa's public indecent exposure law because the dancing is art, the prosecution says the facts are clear: an underage girl stripped, case closed.
If the case makes it up to the state supreme court, there may be a state-wide decision regarding whether naked dancing equals art. How do you think the court should treat subjective standards like "art" and "indecency?"
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Well, over 18, who cares? That is their decision. Under 18, I don't care if it's art or stripping, if you are naked in public there is a problem.
1And Iowa is popular today.
2Stripping is an artform? Great, now I can finally drag my girlfriend to a show where I can understand the plot!
3Gross. A strip club is not art. But I guess you could say that is just my opinion, how do you define art, etc., etc.
4I have to agree with Great Sommelier. If they're over 18 who cares. People who are underage shouldn't be able to perform.
As for the law, I personally don't see stripping as an art, but I also don't see it as indecency.
5I do think it meets the basic requirements of theatre and therefore art; performer and audience. After that, it's just how you perceive it.
6Hey, great news. Maybe our daughters could even get a scholarship at a performing arts college. Extra credit for lucite heels, which the bimbo in the photo forgot to put on. Sucks for her!
7Stripping is an art as much as scaling fish is an art.
8I happen to think that clipping my toenails is an art. As long as bystanders don't lose an eye, were good. Nail polish application, of course, is extra. Talk to the coin slot.
9That depends on where the coin slot is...
10For you, Dave, I'm guessing that would be anywhere between the lucite heels and the Aqua-netted hair claw. Said claw being a hairstyle...atop the actual head.
11
Just how much is this going to cost me (besides my self-respect)?
12Is that a rhetorical question? LOL
13Mr. Fo Show, is this your art form?!
14
15Only if you don't want to answer it.
16Good night, Dave. *shaking head* LOL
17I definitely need a
18Good night
19I'm off to bed as well. Thanks for the interesting conversations!
Night Dave! Janneth... perhaps you could go to these art locations and get a drink. I am sure it might be hard to find a drink there though
20LOL, hunt.
21
well just in case they don't serve drinks at these places!
22I am sure none of us on this thread know anything about these art places though
23Oh how silly. If they're under age they should only be able to strip to a certain point.
When I stip tease you better believe it's art.
24haha I never doubted it Hypno
However, you know Mr. Fo Show attacks some of the
nicest people on here and claims he is a ladies man and an artist so I figured this was his art form! 
25No no no! This is not my art form! Im a Renaissance man and all, but stripping is not art. Although a performimg art center is much different from a strip club....I will consider it indecent exposure. Expecially involving kids! Thats illegal, and should stay illegal.
26Forget ballet classes and soccer, if I have a daughter, I will enroll her in a striptease class. I'll get a gas-guzzling minivan and be one of those stereotypical stripping moms who does nothing but shuffle the kid off the school, striptease practice, and home. It's very important for her to develop an appreciation for art. And like a second language, I think pole dancing is easier to pick up at a young age.
27well it makes sense that it is considered an art form, because like piano, painting, ballet, and tap our children are being exposed to the striptease culture very early. (Bratz dolls, midriff exposing attire, sparkly blue eyeshadow for barbie) Instead of going to watch your Brownie cross the bride into becoming a Girl Scout you can watch her graduate from tassels to bare chested.
28This is the whole perception thing I was talking about and consequently why we need to protect free speech. Just because you (and I) don't think stripping is necessarily "art", it does meet the basic requirements of a theatrical experience and by extension, art. What if people thought church was offensive and wanted it banned? I consider church art because it has an audience and a performer and also therefore meets the requirements. Once you start picking what is art, you open up a whole can of worms.
29I'm not sure about that definition of art. If all that is required is an audience & a performer, then you could have a pedophile on stage violating a child as long as people were watching. The issue here is not whether strip clubs should be allowed (they should, despite the fact I think they are super sketch), but whether underage girls should be participating.
Also, I don't know any religious person who would say they are participating in art by going to church. Church is not supposed to be entertaining, it's supposed to be about your relationship with god.
30WEll said javsmav!
31I agree with raciccarone. Who are we to say what is art and what isn't? It's all about perception and as some of the first posters said, as long as the performers are over age then it's their choice.
32No one said church is entertaining - but that doesn't mean it can't be considered performance art. Many artists say their work is intented to make you think or to challenge you, and they don't want to hear if you liked it or were entertained.
33I think church would fall more under the umbrella of teaching or school. of course, with the can of worms some of you have opened, teaching is art too. There is an audience.
34nope
35Sorry, I shouldn't have used the word "entertaining." I guess what I was trying to say is that art is just something extra--whether it's beautiful, provocative, disturbing, or entertaining, it's main purpose is just to be art. Church, school, politics, sales presentations, closing arguments--these things are not art. There is an audience & "performer" in each of them & there may even be artistic elements to the "performance" but the main purpose is to worship, teach, and get a vote, sale, or conviction/acquittal.
"Who are we to say what is art and what isn't?"
Who else is going to? I have no problem with people disagreeing with me about what is art, but art is a human creation so I think that means we get to define it. Besides, part of the fun is discussing what art is and is not.
36"Thinking about the coding of male identity in abstract art led me to look at Andy Warhol's 'Oxidation' paintings. These were made by the artist and his friends urinating on to canvas prepared with copper oxide"
37I saved an article by Warhol on this for years - he referred to it as piss art. I use the term now for politicians, t.v. executives - anyone selling a serious line of crap dressed up as something meaningful. I think the argument here that stripping is actually performance art is kind of the black velvet Elvis of piss art.
"is actually performance art is kind of the black velvet Elvis of piss art"
I love it
38OK, maybe I should have phrased it differently. When I said, "Who are we to say what is art and what isn't?" I was trying to say that art's a personal, subjective thing. What is art to one person might not be something that you or I consider art.
I just used the wrong phrase. Sorry about that.
39If they're providing sketchpads I don't see why it would be any different from having a nude figure model. I'd like to draw someone dancing in the nude: from an artist's perspective, it's an interesting way of seeing the figure in motion and all that it can do. That said, an underage girl should NOT be posing nude. If she really wants to pose, put her in a bathing suit.
40Oh please. NO, it should not be considered as an art. I agree with the majority here.
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