RACINE, Wis. — Peep this! The Racine Art Museum is hosting its annual Peeps art exhibition once again!
The 13th annual International Peeps Art Exhibition is a popular showcase that features art made primarily from or inspired by marshmallow Peeps. There are dioramas featuring Peep talent shows, sculptures of Godzilla, mixed media collages of peeps, and everything in between.
“You must not think of them as conventional candy per say. You need to think of them as a method to an end," Lisa Englander, the principle guest relations and retail operations manager at the Racine Art Museum, said.
In this gallery, peeps are the art and they are the medium. This is a competition too. Winners are given gift certificates and goody-bags. The top finishers are given a golden Peep for their efforts.
This year's exhibit has 162 pieces created by 207 artists from around the country. The themes range from sports to pop culture to small businesses. There is even an entire section of art inspired by the invasion of Ukraine.
“There are many pieces about freedom and rights and recreation so people are speaking to all aspects of their life here," Englander said.
While some of the art here might be made out of food, you don’t want to eat it. These peeps have been painted and glued. However, that doesn’t stop hungry visitors from trying them.
“Every now and then we’ll come in and find that a piece of peep is missing, and we know that somebody has either taken it or chomped on it," Englader said.
This all started 13 years ago on a gray and dreary day. Englander got the idea while at a grocery store and decided the colorful Peeps exhibit would help brighten the mood and usher in the spring.
The public can check out all of the work from April 7 through April 23, with a virtual opening reception happening Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. and a live virtual exhibit tour at 1 p.m. on April 12.
You can support the exhibit and the Racine Art Museum by purchasing raffle tickets at both museum campuses. Tickets are available through April 30, and if your ticket is chosen, you can win Peeps-inspired artwork from past exhibits, or the first place prize of an Elna eXperience 530 Sewing Machine.
To learn more about the exhibit, and see photos of some of the artwork, click here.
