Marshmallow Peeps® Artwork Featured in Upcoming Exhibition

On Thursday, April 7, the Racine Art Museum (RAM) will present the thirteenth edition of a popular, untraditional exhibition showcasing art made from or inspired by colorful marshmallow Peeps®. Open through April 23, the RAM 13th Annual International Peeps Art Exhibition features 162 creative and entertaining entries that demonstrate the talent of more than 207 artists from across the country.

Inspired by pop culture, animals, sports, and famous artists, many of the Peeps® art entries are by local artists, families, and organizations. However, several pieces arrive every year from out-of-state. This year's exhibition at RAM features Peeps® pieces from as far away as Northampton, Massachusetts; Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania; and Hermosa Beach, California.

Over the years, many entrants have been become experts in marshmallow candy as a material, using methods like carving, painting, hole punching, gluing, and melting to manipulate Peeps® into incredible shapes. While the seasonal candies are still the most common material, the thirteenth anniversary show also includes pieces made in a variety of other media.

On Wednesday, April 6 at 5:30 pm CDT, Bruce W. Pepich, RAM Executive Director and Curator of Collections, and Lisa Englander, founder of the Peeps Art Exhibition at RAM, will present a Virtual Awards Ceremony via Facebook Live. Awards are based on clever and skilled use or representation of Peeps® in adult, children's, and group categories. A Facebook account is not required to watch the live broadcast.

In addition to the awards selected by RAM, visitors throughout the run of the show will have the opportunity to vote online 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.

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 13th Annual International Peeps Art Exhibition. This intimate glimpse of the show will broadcast on the RAM Facebook page at 1:00 pm CDT on Tuesday, April 12. Viewers with a Facebook account will be able to ask questions during the tour and receive responses from museum staff in real time. The exhibition tour—along with the Virtual Awards Ceremony—will also be available to watch on demand on Facebook, YouTube, and the RAM website after the live broadcast has concluded.

This competition is sponsored by the Racine Art Museum Store and Guest Relations.

Exhibitions at Racine Art Museum are made possible by: Platinum Sponsors—Judith and David Flegel Fund, Nicholas and Nancy Kurten, Wingate Foundation; Diamond Sponsors—Osborne and Scekic Family Foundation, Ruffo Family Foundation; Gold Sponsors—Anonymous, David Charak, Tom and Irene Creecy, Herzfeld Foundation, Ron and Judith Isaacs, National Endowment for the Arts, Racine Community Foundation, Reliance Controls, Trio Foundation of St. Louis, W.T. Walker Group, Inc., Wisconsin Arts Board; Silver Sponsors—A.C. Buhler Family, Andis Foundation, Family of Annette Hirsh, Lucy G. Feller, Ben and Dawn Flegel, Johnson Financial Group, Dorothy MacVicar, RDK Foundation, Inc., Real Racine, Jann Serr and John Shannon, Twin Disc, Inc.; Bronze Sponsors—Anonymous, Baird, Susan Boland, Virginia Buhler, Educators Credit Union, Fredrick and Deborah Ganaway, Get Behind the Arts Studio Tour, William A. Guenther, Tom and Sharon Harty, Andrea and Tony Hauser, David and Judy Hecker, Bradley Lynch, Carlotta Miller, Larry and Barbara Newman, The Norbell Foundation, Deb and Willard Walker; Media Sponsors—88Nine Radio Milwaukee, Wisconsin Public Radio.

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Together, the two campuses of the Racine Art Museum, RAM in downtown Racine at 441 Main Street and the Charles A. Wustum Museum of Fine Arts at 2519 Northwestern Avenue, seek to elevate the stature of contemporary crafts to that of fine art by exhibiting significant works in craft media with painting, sculpture, and photography, while providing outstanding educational art programming.

Both campuses of the Racine Art Museum are currently operating with limited hours, open Wednesday through Saturday from Noon to 4:00 pm. Both museums encourage all visitors and staff who have not been fully vaccinated, and those who feel more comfortable wearing a mask, to continue doing so in public areas at RAM and RAM's Wustum Museum of Fine Arts. Masks are still required for some in-person art classes and workshops at Wustum.