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RACINE — The 15th edition of the Racine Art Museum’s one-of-a-kind International PEEPS® Brand Art Exhibition opens Thursday, March 21. With 123 entries made by over 175 artists from all over the continent, this year’s competition is both creative and entertaining.

For the last 15 years, artists and PEEPS® enthusiasts have made it their mission to become experts in working with PEEPS® and creating works of art surrounding the material. Displays are painstakingly created 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, such as rhinestones, 3D-printed plastic and digital watercolor, but the focus remains on the iconic marshmallow confection.

PEEPS
City of Racine Mayor’s Award: Peep off Perseus by Leslie Carver of Racine, Wis. – Credit: Rachel Comande
PEEPS
RAM PEEPS® Postcard Award: The Marshmallow Peep Rests in a Garden by Lynnzie Palomaki of Milwaukee, Wis. – Credit: Rachel Comande

“Curating an exhibition that showcases PEEPS® marshmallow candy as subject material and media 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 subset of art that focuses on handmade work created traditionally from ceramic, fiber, glass, metal, polymer, and wood,” reads a press release from RAM.

“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,” the release continues.

The exhibit is supported and sponsored by numerous businesses and foundations.

Awards given

This year, on March 20, RAM Marketing and Communications Specialist Tyler Potter hosted a Virtual Awards Presentation via Facebook Live. The exhibition came about as a way to bring some color to the transition between winter and spring, Potter explained in the live broadcast.

Awards were given “based on the clever and skilled use or representation of PEEPS® marshmallow candy in adult, children, and group categories.”

The following individuals won awards this year:

  • 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗣EEP—𝗔𝗱𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻
    • Lonna Keller of Tiffin, Iowa, Heaven’s Bunny Hive
  • 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗣EEP—𝗔𝗱𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻
    • Nicole Zimmer of Appleton, Wis., Trip to the Moon
  • 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝗣EEP—𝗔𝗱𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻
    • Leslie Perrino of Racine, Wis., Princess and the Peap
  • Honorable PEEP Mentions:
    • Holly Ottum of Racine, Wis., Japeepanese Kimono
    • Brittney Johnson of Racine, Wis., Vest of Peeps
    • Bill Reid of Racine, Wis., Lip Service Emergency Peepmobile
    • Chris Proeber of Muskego, Wis., Queen’s PEEPS
PEEPS
First PEEP, Group Division: PEEPS Under Glass by LOSERS Car Club of Wisconsin of Wind Lake, Wis. – Credit: Rachel Comande
  • 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗣EEP—𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟯)
    • Azariah Niles of Racine, Wis., Weave the Peep Alone
  • 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗣EEP—𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟯)
    • Indrani Tamasker of Racine, Wis., Mary Peepins
  • 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝗣EEP—𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟯)
    • Beatrix Saaska of Mount Pleasant, Wis., FashionPeepsta!
PEEPS
Third PEEP, Young PEEPle’s Division: FashionPeepsta! by Beatrix Saaska of Mount Pleasant, Wis. – Credit: Rachel Comande
PEEPS
First PEEP, Adult Division: Heaven’s Bunny Hive by Lonna Keller of Tiffin, Iowa. – Credit: Rachel Comande
  • 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗣EEP—𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻
    • LOSERS Car Club of Wisconsin of Wind Lake, Wis., PEEPS Under Glass
  • 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗣EEP—𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻
    • Laura and Steve Grayson of Racine, Wis., Kingdom of the PEEPS
  • 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝗣EEP—𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻
    • The Barthel Family of Brown Deer, Wis., Peeps & Repeeps
  • Honorable PEEP Mention:
    • Careers Industries of Burlington, Wis., Sesame Peep
PEEPS
First PEEP, Young PEEPle’s Division: Weave the Peep Alone by Azariah Niles of Racine, Wis. – Credit: Rachel Comande
  • 𝗥𝗔𝗠 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱
    • Lynnzie Palomaki of Milwaukee, Wis., The Marshmallow Peep Rests in a Garden
  • 𝗠𝗮𝘆𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲’𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱
    • Leslie Carver of Racine, Wis., Peep Off Perseus

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

Each individual who attends the exhibit is invited to vote for their favorite creation, 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,” reads the release.

Visit the PEEPS® exhibition

People are welcome to attend and view the exhibit in Downtown Racine, Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., at 441 Main St. until April 13, 2024. No extra charge is required to see the exhibition; tickets can be purchased upon arrival. Admission prices can be found online.

A Live Virtual Tour of the RAM 15th Annual International PEEPS® Brand Art Exhibition will be broadcast at noon (CDT) on Tuesday, April 9 from the RAM Facebook page.

The exhibition tour will also be available to watch on demand on Facebook, YouTube, and the RAM website after the live broadcast has concluded.

More information about this community-centric exhibition can be found online or by visiting RAM.

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