RACINE — The Racine Art Museum is once again showcasing an exhibit, unlike any other exhibit with the use of a marshmallow confection. The 14th Annual International Peeps® Art Exhibition is officially open until April 15 and features the work of 142 creative entries made by 200 talented artists from across the country.
Through the years, participants have become experts in working with Peeps® and creating works of art surrounding the material. Artists create displays by carving, painting, hole punching, gluing, and melting to manipulate Peeps® into incredible shapes. Others opt from using the actual candy, to using other mediums, but still focus their pieces around Peeps®.
“Curating an exhibition that showcases Peeps® artwork is somewhat unexpected for a museum. However, the concept of working with unusual materials is supported by RAM’s mission to exhibit, collect, preserve, and educate in the field of contemporary craft—a subsect of art that focuses on handmade work created traditionally from ceramic, fiber, glass, metal, polymer, and wood.
“Artists consistently push material boundaries, so the idea that artists sometimes utilize and experiment with materials produced for purposes other than art-making can be seen throughout RAM’s exhibitions and many works in the museum’s permanent collection—the largest contemporary craft collection in North America,” reads a RAM press release.
The exhibit is supported and sponsored by numerous businesses and foundations.
Visit the exhibition
People are welcome to attend and view the exhibit in Downtown Racine, Wednesday through Saturday from noon until 4 p.m., at 441 Main St. No extra charge is required to see the exhibition; tickets can be purchased upon arrival. Admission prices can be found online.
Out-of-state enthusiasts and other would-be museum visitors are invited to view the exhibition from the comfort of home during a Live Virtual Tour of the RAM 14th Annual International Peeps® Art Exhibition. It will be broadcast on the RAM Facebook page at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, April 11.
The exhibition tour will also be available to watch on demand on Facebook, YouTube, and the RAM website after the live broadcast has concluded.
Awards given
This year, on March 28, RAM Executive Director and Curator of Collections Bruce W. Pepich and RAM Curatorial Assistant Kendra Voelz hosted a Virtual Awards Presentation via Facebook Live.
Awards were given based on the clever and skilled use or representation of Peeps® in adult, children, and group categories. A Facebook account is not required to watch the live broadcast.
The following individuals won awards this year:
- 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗲𝗲𝗽—𝗔𝗱𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻
- Jean Wells, Steep and Peep
- 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗲𝗲𝗽—𝗔𝗱𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻
- Debby Peck, Octopeep
- 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝗣𝗲𝗲𝗽—𝗔𝗱𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻
- Susan Buhler, The Dawn of Peep
- 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀—𝗔𝗱𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻
- Betsy Kinkema, Peeponardo Da Vinci
- Veronica Gagliano Averkamp, Peep Lily
- Korinthia Klein, The Picture of Dorian Peep
- Alison Wojahn, Peep Kong
- 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗲𝗲𝗽—𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟯)
- Jack Thompson, The Great Barrier Peep
- 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗲𝗲𝗽—𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟯)
- Isabella Aviles, Snappy the Shark
- 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝗣𝗲𝗲𝗽—𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟯)
- Marie Roosa, American Peep
- 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗲𝗲𝗽—𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻
- Andrew Konitzer and Kathryn O’Keefe, The Library of Banned Books
- 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗲𝗲𝗽—𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻
- Stephanie Lazzeroni and Henry Schoonover, Captain Peepmo and Ned Fight the Giant Squid
- 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝗣𝗲𝗲𝗽—𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻
- Bobbie and Courtnie Poppie, Spider Peep Stops the Train
- 𝗥𝗔𝗠 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱
- Holly Ottum, If Peeps Could Fly
- 𝗠𝗮𝘆𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲’𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱
- Yvonne Mayer, Vincent Van Peep, and the Morning Star
To view the presentation of awards, visit RAM’s Facebook, YouTube, and the RAM website.
For a full list of artists view the RAM website.
PEEPles Choice Award to be named
Visitors are invited to vote for their favorite creation, naming one popular artwork worthy of the coveted PEEPles Choice Award.
“This vote has been taken very seriously since the inception of the annual exhibition. With guests allowed only one per visit, they circle the works of Peeps® art, taking notes about the exhibition, and then often lobbying for their eventual favorite. The award will be announced after the closure of the exhibition,” explains the release.
More information about this community-centric exhibition can be found online or by visiting RAM.
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