The Pez dispensers on display at the Kimo Theater won't make it into children's hands anytime soon.
To get a piece of candy, Pez eaters push back the enormous wooden breasts of a burlesque dancer.
The dispensers, customized by folk artist Steve White, are just an example of the artwork showcased at "Burlesque," an exhibit at the Kimo Theater.
The show, which opened earlier this month and runs through Feb. 18, documents the art of striptease.
Curator Devin O'Leary said the showcase nearly sold out last year and is likely to be popular this year, as well.
"I think it's just a matter of the city coming around to what people are in the mood for," he said.
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The exhibit features pictures, sculptures, advertisements and memorabilia from the 1930s to the present.
The art show aims to stir up interest for the New Mexico Burlesque Showcase on Feb. 15 and 16.
O'Leary said the exhibit's artifacts are from his personal collection, as well as from collectors and artists around New Mexico.
The exhibit features pasties, or adhesive nipple covers, along with a plethora of pictures of pasties in use. They look like small, tasseled yarmulkes.
The show features articles from the golden years of Albuquerque burlesque, the days when World's Fair superstars like Sally Rand came out to the West to put on shows.
There are plenty of modern photos, too.
One picture of burlesque acrobat September Smith exhibits the close ties between burlesque theater and the circus.
"It's getting back to what burlesque was, with music, performers, comedians and all that stuff," O'Leary said.
Smith will appear alongside 12 burlesque performers in the showcase.
Kitty Irreverent's Burlesque will present the two-night showcase.
Sarah Robarge, a Kitty Irreverent member, said in an e-mail that burlesque fans will not be disappointed.
"They can expect two wonderful, action-packed shows that exhibit the diversity of the New Mexico burlesque community at its best," she said.
This year's show will feature several new performers, Robarge said.
"A well-done burlesque piece will have content to it, in the form of costume, theme and story," she said. "It's more about the tease and the slow reveal of what's under the costume, the anticipation that's built up during the striptease and, sometimes, what you don't see in the piece."
Robarge said it's an exciting time to be part of the burlesque community because of the mix of old and new styles.
"The diversity of the scene is one of the main reasons why I started the showcase," she said. "I wanted to bring burlesque in all of its new forms together in one place and give people a chance to see and experience all of it."



