MANILA, Philippines ? Now this is what we call a happy problem.

You ask for two nude models and four show up, all in the prime of youth and the pink of health. They were, in fact, volunteers?UP students happy to bare all for their alma mater, a modest per diem, and the chance to be immortalized on canvas or paper by one of several name artists, UP Fine Arts alumni all, including a National Artist or two. With the written consent of their parents and the deans of their colleges, of course.

This was just one of the sidelights of ?100 Nudes, 100 Years,? arguably the most popular of the myriad events staged by the UP Alumni Association in celebration of the State University?s Centennial this year.

?100 Nudes, 100 Years? is the first art exhibit of its kind, with 79 UP-bred artists contributing their work for the exhibit. They include National Artists Napoleon Abueva, Fernando Amorsolo, Benedicto Cabrera, Carlos Francisco, Abdulmari Imao, Jose Joya Jr., Cesar Legaspi, Vicente Manansala and Guillermo Tolentino. Intended as a fund-raising project for the UP Alumni Association, the exhibit raised P1 million within the first few weeks alone, from the sales of donated art works, and a handsome limited-edition commemorative book.

The exhibit culminated in a live nude sketching and painting session, held at the Mandarin Oriental Suites at the Gateway Mall in the Araneta Center. Among the participants were National Artist Bencab, Cheloy Dans and Nanding Sena, as well as UP alumni Jess Abrera, Neil Doloricon, Jonah Salvosa and many others.

What?s the fuss all about?

To be sure, nudity is taken more in stride at the State University than it is in other institutions of higher learning. After all, UP?s main symbol is a muscular naked man offering himself up to the heavens, and one of its much-anticipated annual traditions is the notorious ?Oblation Run? in which fraternity pledges streak buck nekkid through campus. Then there is its reputation as a bastion of intellectual freedom and liberal humanism to uphold. It would be unseemly for a true blue Maroon to blush, giggle or raise an eyebrow at a little nudity. The proper UP decorum is to act cool, like it ain?t no big deal.

The artists who graced the live nude sketching session were masters at acting cool in front of a naked person. I was surprised to learn from Bencab that drawing from a live nude model wasn?t part of the UP Fine Arts curriculum for Painting majors?only Sculpture majors had that privilege. Perhaps this is one reason why painters never seem to tire of drawing the nude from life.

Not to mention that the possibilities and the appeal of the naked human form remain limitless.