NEWPORT — Perusing the more than 90 submissions at the Library Arts Center’s annual Peeps Diorama Contest on Saturday, I found myself gravitating towards the more morbid interpretations of the competition’s assignment, which was to make a scene of one’s choosing using the marshmallow confections as main characters.
These dark, and at times bloody, creations struck me as a logical and comedic subversion of how we normally experience Peeps, that is, as the squishy, pastel-colored chicks and bunnies whose pin-prick eyes gaze innocently from the aisles of the grocery store or a child’s Easter basket.
The first such submission to grab my attention was “Peep La Révolution!,” a French Revolution-inspired diorama made by the staff at Richards Free Library in Newport that won best historical scene. Flanked on three sides by tall cardboard walls, a crowd of pink and blue bunnies waving tricolor flags gathered around a giant guillotine that had severed the head of (presumably) Marie Peep-toinette.
Her bunny head, painted red where the blade had sliced, had tumbled into a small wicker basket — a macabre nod to Easter frivolity.
Who knew Peeps could be so violent, or so French?
“Zompeep Apocalypse” took things up a notch. According to the diorama’s accompanying blurb, a global climate emergency had caused the Arctic tundra to thaw, unleashing a parasitic virus that was turning Peeps into Zompeeps. A cult leader convinced some of the Peeps that drinking “MAGAade” would protect them, but it wasn’t so.
Bloodied Peeps and burning cars lay strewn on the lawn of a state house building where an American flag had been toppled. A few Peeps gathered around a “MAGAade” stand, still hoping to be saved.
The elaborate factory scene “Split Peep Soup” abstained from some of the gore of “Révolution” and “Apocalypse,” but it still had a sinister edge.
First place winner in the families category, the diorama showed three bunnies in hard hats defeathering a line of chicks as they climbed a conveyor belt that fed them through a “Splitting Station” and then sent them to their ultimate doom: a boiling vat ringed in flame.
A bespectacled “SOUPervisor” watched from a perch above the factory floor, ensuring that everyone stayed in line.
I suppose being made into soup for mass consumption isn’t so far from what Peeps go through in real life, given that they exist is to be gobbled down at the holidays, or otherwise made into edible art.
Reflecting on these harrowing scenes, I wondered if Peeps really are as innocent as we presume.
There is, after all, something a bit unnerving about the way they materialize en masse come Easter — or at most other major holidays, for that matter — and then linger in the home after all the other candy has been devoured, growing increasingly stale with each passing day.
I’m not even convinced people enjoy Peeps that much, at least compared to other Easter candies (one diorama, “Peepto Bismol,” gave a creative reminder of what happens when you eat too many), yet you can count on them to line store shelves the morning after Valentine’s Day.
With that said, perhaps the Library Arts Center offers the best use for Peeps: strange and wonderful art.
The Library Arts Center’s Peep Diorama Contest is on display through April 9 in Newport, N.H. The show is free and open to the public. Votes for the Peep-les’ Choice Award can be cast at the gallery, open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. Go to libraryartscenter.org to learn more.
Some non-marshmallow related exhibits and live entertainment coming soon:
Pain-teen
“We the People,” a show of student work, is on view from Saturday, April 4 through Saturday, May 9 at Chandler Center for the Arts in Randolph. The exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information go to chandler-arts.org.
New seasons
Center for the Arts’ “Emergence,” a free group show exploring themes of change and rebirth, is on view from Thursday, April 2 through Saturday, June 27 in New London. An opening reception is scheduled for 3 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 4. Go to centerfortheartsnh.org to learn more.
Sawtooth shows
Upper Valley rock band The Conniption Fits will perform at Sawtooth Kitchen, Bar and Stage at 9 p.m. on Friday, April 3 in Hanover. Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 on the day of the show. Learn more at sawtoothkitchen.com.
Etna pop princess Sir Babygirl is bringing Lady Gaga’s dance anthems to Sawtooth the following night, starting at 9:30 p.m. The show is 21+ with a $5 cover.
Pig and Wolf
An exhibit, now extended through April 8, at the Hanover Parks and Recreation building, is offering visitors a walk down memory lane and the many iterations of Pig and Wolf, the large animal figurines that over the years have become Hanover’s unofficial mascots. The exhibit is free and open to the public. Learn more at hanovernh.org.
First Friday
April 3 marks First Friday in White River Junction. Here’s a sampling of the day’s festivities:
Amanda Janoo, who’s running for Vermont governor, will make an appearance at a meet and greet with snacks and mocktails slated for 6 to 7 p.m. at Revolution followed by a dance party at the Filling Station DJed by Sir Babygirl. Learn more at facebook.com/WRJctFirstFriday.
Green Mountain Economic Development Corporation and Upper Valley Habitat for Humanity are having a free Upper Valley Welcome Wagon social at Main Street Museum from 5 to 8 p.m. Route 5 Jive will be hosting a jazz invitational and free pizza and soft drinks will be available. RSVP on the event’sEventbrite page.
Kishka Gallery and Library is hosting an opening reception for Palestinian-American artist and musician Michael Hambouz, whose exhibit “Like Literally Figuratively” is on view from April 3 through May 23. To learn more go to Kishka’s Instagram @kishka.vt.
