New York, New York – Those in NYC last weekend may have been surprised to see some human art canvases strolling by.

Last Sunday, art came to life in all shapes and sizes to celebrate the 8th annual NYC Bodypainting Day, celebrating art on the human body in all its glory.

This year's event saw "30+ artists painting 50+ nude models," said Human Connection Arts, the non-profit that runs the annual event.

The festivities took place in Union Sqaure Park for four hours, to the delight of participants and wide-eyed spectators alike. Afterwards, the collection of artists and models marched to Washington Square Park to revel in their creations.

After the city has begun to rebuild with outdoor summer events following an unprecedented 2020, this year's theme was resilience.

Some traveled from near and far to get in on the artistic call-to-action. Bruce Henry, a painter who journeyed from East Texas to be there, said it was his first time at the event, but that he would definitely be back next year.

"Everyone had a blast," Henry told TAG24. "We waked around and rode a double-decker bus showing off all the artwork all the artists created."

That bus took participants through the city, across the Manhattan Bridge, and onto an after party in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, where live music, celebrations, and – of course – painting continued.

Artist Kirk Dupuis told TAG24 that for the nighttime fun, he used UV Blacklight reactive makeup to amp up a glow-in-the-dark effect.

Photos from the day have continued to circulate around social media, stunning viewers across the internet.

With Bodypainting Day, Human Connection Arts seeks to address a number of social issues, such as promoting the appropriateness and acceptance of public nudity, public art, and a distinction between nudity and sexuality.

As the group began public art events ten years ago, it actually helped to bring regulations on public nudity to fruition.

After the arrests of group members in 2011, which were later dismissed, the New York Police Department later declared that public nudity is legal for the sake of art in NYC.

From there, the annual Bodypainting Day was born. It has continued as a colorful celebration of beauty, collaboration, and body positivity in New York, and other cities around the world.