World Body Painting Association
The World Bodypainting Association (abbreviated WBA) is an association for body painters. It represents artists, mediates workshops, models and sponsors, and organises the World Bodypainting Festival in Pörtschach, Austria, right next to the lake Wörthersee. The association began as a result of this yearly festival, but focuses on networking of artists and bodypainting interested people and companies.
The "European Body Painting Association" counted 250 members in 2005 most from European countries. The interest worldwide has grown so we renamed the association to the "World Bodypainting Association" with more than 500 members in 2010.
The World Bodypainting Association is dedicated
- to promoting the art of bodypainting,
- to supporting artists around the world and
- encouraging fair trade between artists and companies.
The association also looks after the interests of artists, who have either made bodypainting their profession, or who just paint for a hobby.
Along with the artists, photographers, models and video-film makers are also active or passive members in the association.
History
The association was founded on 12 October 2001 in Austria by Alex Barendregt as the European Bodypainting Association ebpa. Because of increased participation by international artists, it was renamed the World Bodypainting Association in 2004.