Every year when the Art of Tröegs contest submissions start rolling in, we’re continually blown away by the creativity of our fans… and this year was no different! We received so many amazing entries, but after all was said and done, it was Josh Stolberg and his majestic, intricately constructed “Bird of Tröegs” that captured our hearts.
Formerly a mechanical engineer before becoming a full-time artist, Stolberg meticulously crafted this stunning piece using a wide variety of our packaging materials like bottlecaps, aluminum and pop-tabs from cans, 6-pack carriers, and corks. “The head for this piece took over 12 hours of construction,” revealed Josh in the inspiration story accompanying his entry. “With my past, I’ve always found inspiration in the technical challenge of creating sculpture.”
“This project was a particularly fun challenge,” he continued. “The shape of the Tröegs logo was perfect for the body feathers and originally got me thinking about making a bird. It took years – and a couple road trips to the brewery – to collect everything used in this project.”
Our first runner up, Melinda “Mindy” Shipe, took inspiration from three of our most iconic beers – Troegenator, The Mad Elf, and Perpetual – in her impressive “Perpetually Hoppy in the Sunshine” stained glass piece, which took her 25 hours to complete.
“I love the creativity and playfulness of Tröegs’ artwork and beer names,” wrote Mindy in her inspiration story. “This contest helped me to get out of my creative rut! I’ve been working with glass for over 24 years and have been doing the same designs over and over. Art of Tröegs inspired me to use new skills and tools and awakened my love of creating new things again!”
Abby Kurtz, our second runner-up, wowed us with her creativity by submitting a whimsical board game called “The Settlers of Tröegs.”
“The game draws inspiration from the creativity, community, and exceptional beers that makes Tröegs such a special part of Hershey,” Abby wrote in her inspiration story. “Each hex tile in this reimagined edition of a classic board game represents a different Tröegs beer, highlighting its unique personality. Players embark on a quest to gather essential brewing supplies such as water, grain, hops, steel, and concrete, to craft beers and build breweries. Every aspect of the game is designed to immerse you in the vibrant world of Tröegs.”
Congrats to Josh, Mindy and Abby on their amazing entries. These three masterpieces – along with eighteen others – will be on display in our Art of Tröegs Gallery starting Saturday, September 14 for all to enjoy!
And if you’re into art and supporting local artisans, don’t miss our inaugural Tröegs Art Market, which will coincide with the gallery opening on September 14 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the brewery. The market will feature a variety of items for sale including clothing, jewelry, ornaments, crafts and much more, and will feature past Art of Tröegs makers and Nugget Nectar First Squeeze artists. Don’t miss it!