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8/21/2012
IOWA EGG COUNCIL

Egg Decorating Contest Winners Announced

URBANDALE, IA, – The Iowa Egg Council has announced the winners of the 15th annual Egg Decorating Contest, held August 10 at the Iowa State Fair. Marion Smith of Eagle Grove received a $500 cash prize for her Faberge-style egg titled, “15 Billion Eggs.” The contest, held in the Agriculture Building at the Iowa State Fair, recognized Iowa artists for their creativity in decorating a standard large-size chicken egg.

Luxury, opulence and fine craftsmanship best describe Marion’s prizewinning egg, a tribute to Iowa egg farmers who top the nation in producing 15 billion eggs. Her work of art was skillfully rendered in a style made famous by Peter Carl Faberge, a Russian goldsmith noted for creating eggs with precious metals and gemstones for European royalty. Marion’s cobalt blue and gold painted egg holds a miniature chicken inside to represent the cycle that produces the amazing egg. “I chose this style to portray the brilliance of the egg in Iowa’s agriculture industry,” says Marion.

This year’s Egg Decorating Contest included 10 impressive entries from across the state. Second place honors went to Sheillah Bentley of Maquoketa with her egg-on-egg mosaic, "The Secret Garden," and third place to Margaret Seibert of Dewitt with her dimensional work of art, “Have Fun with Eggs!”

After the fair these unique creations will make up a traveling egg art display where the hand-decorated eggs will be showcased at local libraries across the state. Find more details about the library tour and participating artists at www.iowaegg.org.

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(Contact: Lois White,Iowa Egg Council, 515-727-4701 ext.11)

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	Marion Smith of Eagle Grove shows off her prizewinning egg with judges Brett Pickar of Daybreak Foods, Inc., left, and Stephanie Hunter, Better Homes & Gardens Special Interest Media, and Bill Northey, state of Iowa Ag Secretary.