Published: 4/14/2020 8:58:31 PM
Modified: 4/14/2020 8:58:24 PM
NORWICH — Norwich Public Library’s annual Peeps Diorama Contest is expanding its reach this year.
The springtime contest — now in its sixth year — has moved online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s theme “Where in the World are the Peeps?” is in tune with the contest’s expansion: People from throughout the Upper Valley and beyond are encouraged to make dioramas.
“I think the idea is that each diorama can show a piece of the wider world and create a moment of levity for us,” said Roger Arnold, community engagement librarian at the Norwich Public Library.
Photographs can be submitted via the library’s website at norwichlibrary.org/peeps2020. The contest is open for submissions through Tuesday, April 21, and submissions will be posted online the following day. Voting will be open through Sunday, April 26, with winners announced on April 27.
“I think what is very exciting about this contest is the potential that online voting can reach more people who are in their homes right now,” Arnold said.
The contest features another twist this year: the Peeps themselves.
“We acknowledge that not everyone would be able to get to the store right now to buy Peeps. This year Peeps can be created or imagined by the use of other materials,” Arnold said. “They can be drawn, they can be sculpted. They can be fabricated from different kinds of household items. You can sculpt them out of cheese.”
A special category will honor the winner for the best use of substituted Peep material, Arnold said.
There are also no size restrictions for the dioramas as in years past when they were displayed in the library. People can submit dioramas as individuals, or work with family members or friends who they are with in isolation.
“While we will miss the exhibition aspect of it at our library, we are inspired by the idea that perhaps many more people can see them online,” Arnold said. “We’re really excited that we’re able to offer this yearly contest to the community and hope that it inspires joy and creativity.”
Although we can’t gather in person in the age of social distancing, plenty of organizations are finding ways to hold events online. Here are some coming up in the next few days worth checking out:
Lecture: “Identity, Incivility, and Policy Issues in Congressional Communication”: 5-6 p.m. on Wednesday. Mia Costa, assistant professor of government at Dartmouth College, gives talk as part of Rocky Watch, a weekly series of live broadcasts with public policy experts. Stream via news.dartmouth.edu/events.
Coder’s Club: 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. Coding projects for children ages 9-13. Register at leblibrary.com.
<sbull value="sbull"><text xmlns="urn:schemas-teradp-com:gn4tera"></text></sbull> Dance Party with DJ Sean: 9 p.m. on Thursday. Join the virtual dance party sponsored by Hop@Home on Facebook Live. Stream via the Hopkins Center for the Arts, Dartmouth College Facebook page.
Prompt & Pinot Virtual Writing Workshop: 6:30-8:15 p.m. on Friday. Hosted by Still North Books & Bar and Joni B. Cole. Space limited. Register at stillnorthbooks.com.