The 7th Annual 2008 Breast of Canada Calendar is now available online. Breast of Canada is an artistic calendar designed to inspire women to have greater awareness of breast health and breast cancer prevention.

Breast of Canada is a grass roots organization founded by Guelph artist, Sue Richards. Sue is joined in her efforts by photographer, Melanie Gillis, graphic designer Gareth Lind, writer, Liz Armstrong and “web wench,” Sandy Walsh.

A wonderful article written by Kristy Chesworth and titled, The Breast of Times, details the history behind the calendar.

“Richards realized the power of a calendar both to project gripping images and to create new attitudes toward breasts. What began as a straightforward health-based project became a movement to take perceptions about breasts out of the exclusively sexual realm and liberate the female breast into its full range of expression,” states Chesworth.

But Richards soon discovered the ‘boo’ in boobs. “There was quite a knee-jerk reaction to the images… I had no idea that would be the reaction I would get.”

Nonetheless Richards persevered. Says Chesworth, “For a woman who has had a mastectomy, a woman’s whose breasts are quite small, or quite large, or any woman whose breasts don’t conform to idealized images, self-esteem and a sense of femininity can suffer. Until women see themselves reflected in the media, these feelings won’t simply disappear. It’s up to normal women like Sue Richards to create a normalized aesthetic, regardless of its failure to achieve mass appeal.”

Richards describes the calendar not as a revolution but a celebration, “There’s definitely a celebration. Revolution suggests to me that there’s anger involved and I don’t personally feel anger. I’m trying another approach. I’m just offering up a perspective. And then I sit quietly and let you have a look at it.”