Food Art Contest at Walter Johnson High School
Would last night’s spaghetti have inspired Picasso? Maybe not. But leftovers—or anything edible found in the fridge or kitchen cabinets—are fair game for students and staff creating sculptures for the annual Food Art Contest at Walter Johnson High School.
The art and design department’s December competition, first held in 2004, aims to get contestants thinking outside the box. More than 40 students and staff sink their teeth into the challenge each year, with entries ranging from pretzel-stick furniture to jelly-bean mosaics to an all-vegetable Hobbit house with a roof made of dill. Entries are displayed in a hallway and judged by other staffers in categories ranging from “best use of materials” to “most disgusting.” Winners receive bragging rights.
Lest anyone fret about wasted food, the contest is combined with a food drive to benefit Manna Food Center in Gaithersburg. And of course some entries—mostly those made of sweets—go straight into contestants’ mouths after judging.
