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Easter candy an artistic medium for Brooke students

By WARREN SCOTT 4 min read

WELLSBURG -- Easter is the time of year when many people enjoy munching on the bunny- and chick-shaped marshmallow candies called Peeps, but it's also at this time when many Brooke High School students put them to use in artwork for an annual contest.

Art instructors Sara Walden Roark and Kelly Lumbatis again challenged members of their classes as well as students throughout the school to create a variety of images and scenes with the treats, and the response was more than 100 entries drawing on television, movies, pop music and everyday life.

Through the years winners of the Brooke High School Peep Show have been named by guest judges, often former students who have gone on to careers in art, while a Peep-le's Choice Award was determined through votes cast by students, staff and visitors to the school.

In 2020, when the school was among many closed by the pandemic, the event had to be conducted virtually, opening the door to online voting from a larger community. The practice has continued since, with hundreds choosing their favorites this year.

This year's top overall winners are:

– Annaliese Schupbach, first place, for her depiction of a spring carnival with a kiddie train ride, carousel and Ferris wheel among the attractions enjoyed by its Peep patrons, all of it decked out in pastel colors.

– Josh Van Horn, second place, for a mosaic portrait of Mike Lewis, the school's principal, using pink, yellow, blue and purple Peeps. The entry also received the Peep-les' Choice Award.

– Emma Fabian, third place, for her Peep Art Class, which recreated the school's art room. The scene depicts students gathered around art tables, at work on various pieces, including a miniature replica of the self-portrait that earned Van Horn a state award earlier this year. Cabinets are filled with art supplies and a web page about "Art Room Vibes" appears on the smart board at the head of the classroom.

Receiving honorable mention were: Logan Frame, for a chilling confrontation between Peeps and zombies; Deedra Graves, for her depiction of the Brooke High School Marching Band performing during half-time of a Bruins football game; and Michaela Villa, for her scene of two sets of Peeps enjoying gondola rides through the city of Venice.

This year, a new category was established for students in the adapted art class for students with special needs.

The winners were: Levi Gasvoda, who received first place for his depiction of a concert by country singer Cole Swindell; Sidney Beatty, who placed second for a scene drawn from the March Madness college basketball tournament; and Preston Hill, who placed third for his recreation of a scene from "Jurassic Park" with toy dinosaurs menacing Peeps attempting to flee in toy cars and on foot.

The students received a mix of Peep treats and art supplies for their winning entries, which were among many creative pieces entered into the contest.

Others included:

– The famous scene of the lead characters of "The Wizard of Oz" making their way along the yellow brick road.

– The stars of "Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey" and the cloak-draped Death descending into a fiery Hell.

– A match from World Wrestling Entertainment, with three rows of Peeps seated above each side of the ring.

– A concert by Korean pop group Stray Kids, which is standing before the large pink heart that has become their symbol.

There were two reproductions of a 1980s Pac-Man arcade machine featuring Peeps as the lead video game character and the four ghosts pursuing him. One was illuminated by Christmas lights, while the other included Smarties candies as the dots consumed by Pac-Man.

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