Where is the peeps museum

People, both locals and visitors from across the world, buy out stores of the neon marshmallow chicks and bunnies. Since its inception 12 years ago, the now-formally titled Annual International PEEPS Art Exhibition has grown from a community-oriented, family-centric event to one that has celebrated artists in complicated fields thinking months ahead of time on what to submit.

The prizes are coveted restaurant gift cards and such, but most everyone we chatted with confirmed: Competitors are after the museum's ordained First Peep, Second Peep, and Third Peep honors, or the attendee-voted PEEPles Choice Award. While ceramics, metals, and quilts are the most common mediums for submissions—a quarter of which are by professional artists—visitors will also see canvases painted with melted PEEPS, glasswork, and so, so much more. We spoke to the brains behind the marshmallow curtains, as well as one PEEP show donor-slash-enthusiast and five acclaimed repeat PEEP artists about how an idea to bring more color to a dull Wisconsin winter turned into an event that sees hundreds of submissions every year.

Living in Wisconsin can be very gray in the winter—people tend to be gray and dress gray. About 14 or 15 years ago, I was in my local grocery store and the store was just…gray, but when I walked down one aisle, I noticed all this wonderful holiday color unlike Christmas or anything. I immediately came up with the idea: a PEEP show. It took me a year to work around the title and not have it sound salacious. When I finally presented it to the museum staff, we all thought, "Hey, let's give it a try.

To be clear, we accept virtually everything that's submitted on the basis that We won't take anything inappropriate.

Lisa Englander: We believe that things made by the hand are as important as painting is on paper, and so that is the focus of this museum. Just because something is made by the hand doesn't invalidate its importance.

Nancy Wheeler: Plus, I thought it would draw in a population that might not otherwise walk through the doors of a fine art museum. Jessica Zalewski, Marketing and Publications Manager at RAM: We made it clear it was open to any and everyone—artists and non-artists alike, but we didn't know what to expect.

In that first year, we already had over 40 pieces. Lisa Englander: After that first show? Jessica Zalewski: In the very first year —attendance for that time period doubled over Now, 8 to 10 percent of our total attendance for the entire year comes to the show in those two-and-a-half weeks. That's more than 4, people. Amanda Paffrath, glassblower and maker of the PEEPle Choice Award: I have customers who are huge art collectors, but they will come every year specifically for this exhibit because it's so playful and clever and funny.

You just never know what you're going to see. Nick Schroeder, ceramist : Every year, there are not only actual lines to get into the museum, but there will also be lines to get into the exhibit room itself.

Nick Schroeder : The art world can take itself pretty seriously. This is fun. We can have some fun with this. Jessica Zalewski: After local coverage became consistent, The Journal Times , which is the ritzy local paper, covered the show, and from there it got picked up by papers as far away as Alaska. We were thrilled to see the number of pieces nearly double from to , when we hosted pieces by artists.

I knew it was really here to stay when about three years ago—we actually were worried about the space that is allotted for the show because there were so many entries. Rachel Carren, polymer jeweler: I've never participated in the show itself.

The awards range from toys to gift certificates for local shops and restaurants in Racine. Some of those punny names are: Peep. As fun and whimsical as this is, you can tell people put a lot of time into their art. Every detail is stressed. You can see the exhibit on Wednesdays through Saturdays from noon to 4 p. It's open until April News Local News. Actions Facebook Tweet Email. Peep this! Peeps are kind of like the candy corn of Easter. By: James Groh.

James Groh.