Lori Griepenstroh of Lincoln has won top honors in the 2008 White House Easter Egg Artistry Contest organized by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, Poultry and Egg Division, in conjunction with the American Egg Board.

Griepenstroh's egg has been sent to the American Egg Board, and will represent Nebraska at the 2008 Easter Egg Display at the White House. One egg from each state and the District of Columbia will make up the yearly display.

To create her depiction of Nebraska, Griepenstroh cut out the opening of the egg that was outlined with the letters of Nebraska. The egg, representing Nebraska's vast agricultural industry, has real corn and wheat with silk sunflowers adorning it while tiny farm animals are featured inside.

Griepenstroh's egg was chosen from an assortment of eggs entered by amateur Nebraska artists. Second place went to Lisa Eicke of Bennington. Eicke used ink and watercolor to represent the wide diversity of Nebraska including the Sandhills Cranes, 4-H, Great Platte River Road Archway Monument, the Henry Doorly Zoo and various representations of Omaha are featured.

Courtney Masek of Valparaiso received third place. Masek's acrylic-painted egg depicted a farm scene at sunset that included a barn, silo, cows, and a farmer on his tractor.

Each artist decorated a large, blown-out chicken egg to depict special feature(s) of Nebraska. Entries were displayed for public viewing and voting at the University of Nebraska State Museum in Morrill Hall in Lincoln during August and September, as well as online.

First Place - Lori Griepenstroh, Lincoln Corn, wheat and sunflowers adorn this egg that represents Nebraska agriculture. Inside the focus on agriculture continues with tiny farm animals of a pig and cow.

Second Place - Lisa Eicke, Bennington Ink and watercolor were used to represent the wide diversity of Nebraska on this egg. The Sandhills Cranes, Great Platte River Road Archway Monument, 4-H, the Henry Doorly Zoo and various representations of Omaha are featured.

Third Place - Courtney Masek, Valparaiso This egg depicts a farm scene at sunset painted with acrylic paints.

Other Entries

Veronica Kiuntke, Columbus At dusk, Sandhills cranes, one of the oldest living birds on the planet, gather in cornfields in the central Nebraska Platte River valley, to roost for the night on their annual migration to Canada.

Pat Ruge, Walthill Acrylic paint and marking pen adorn this egg that represents the 911 Emergency System and the Air Ambulance that were both developed in Nebraska.

Jean Pedersen, Lincoln Using the old Ukrainian egg decorating technique of etching and a dye/wax relief (batik) method commonly used in Pysanky, this egg features Nebraska corn, coneflowers, wildflowers and penstemon plant.

Tanna Ruge, Rosalie Acrylic paint and glitter were used to paint this red egg with the "N" symbolic of Nebraska and the Huskers.

Allie Porter, Omaha Acrylic paint, beads, wire and crystals were used to depict the Gene Leahy Mall and downtown Omaha at night on this egg.

Courtney Hale, Omaha The Omaha Performing Arts Theatre is depicted on this egg decorated with acrylic paint, painted eggshell for the wood flooring stage, beads and wire for the characters and fabric for the curtains.

Jordan Slobodnik, Omaha Acrylic paint was used to decorate this egg featuring the College World Series held in at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha.

Sin Buckley, Omaha Nebraska's state bird, the Western Meadowlark, is painted with acrylic paints accented with tiny beads.

Tasha Peterson, Omaha Using acrylic paint and glass beads, this egg represents the view of western Nebraska looking toward Colorado.

Jennifer Bartling, Fremont "Nebraska, The Heart of the Heartland" is featured on this egg made in lace. The ocean areas are a hand knitted lace; the areas of land are needle lace, bobbin lace and crocheted lace.

Carolyn Rix, Fremont This Kool-Aid pitcher represents 80 years of Kool-Aid that was invented in Hastings, Nebraska. The egg was waxed, dyed, cut, and clay added.

Photos taken by Vantage Imaging

Egg Contests