Gallery curator Richard Perram had proposed a nude tour of The Unflinching Gaze: photo media and the male figure on November 30 as a new way of appreciating the works.

It would have been the first time a nude tour had been run at the Bathurst gallery, though they have been previously organised in galleries overseas and across Australia.

But Mr Perram said circumstances beyond the gallery’s control now meant the tour could not go ahead.

“We’re not going to be able to do the nude tour of the gallery,” Mr Perram said.

“Due to reasons outside of the control of the gallery, we’re not able to proceed.”

However, Mr Perram stressed the tour had not been closed down due to censorship or taste reasons. Instead, there were operational reasons for the decision.

Mr Perram will still conduct a curator’s tour as planned at 6pm on November 30, but all participants will be fully clothed.

“The exhibition closes on December 3 so this will probably be the last chance for a curator’s tour,” he said.

Meanwhile, The Unflinching Gaze has been credited with creating something of tourism boom for the region.

Mr Perram said the exhibition had brought in more visitors from outside of Bathurst than any other exhibition at the gallery.

“There have been more people for this show coming from outside the region than ever before,” he said.

“People have been making a special trip to come to Bathurst which was part of the strategy when we were putting the exhibition together.

“Some people I know of have stayed overnight while others have stayed for lunch and taken the chance to take a look around, so there’s money coming into town.”

The Unflinching Gaze is the biggest exhibition the gallery has hosted to date, comprised of more than 200 works by 62 artists from Australia and overseas. 

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