2024 BreyerFest Diorama Contest preview

The theme of the 2024 BreyerFest Virtual Diorama Contest is Pop Culture That Pops!

But first... Let me take a selfie by Erin Verscheure

The description reads: Dynamic and constantly changing, popular culture defines each generation. From music and fashion to entertainment and sports, each decade has its icons and iconography. This year’s BreyerFest look has been inspired by late 90s and early aughts music and design and we are challenging fans to create a diorama, using at least one Breyer model of any scale (excluding CollectA), that depicts one example of the many categories of pop culture from any decade in the last one hundred years, such as entertainment, sports, fashion, technology, etc.

Lady Gaga's icornic 2010 VMA Meat Dress by Nadia Siedschlag

Here's a quick look at a few of this year's most eye popping entries, starting with Olivia Tierce's "Getting Groovy at Breyerfest". Olivia writes: The 1970's were a time of fashion, especially the bellbottom jeans. Along with this, the hippie movement brought in several new trends, such as the peace sign necklaces, round sunglasses, and many contrasting patterns and colors. My diorama is inspired by these iconic fashion statements of that time, many of which are still seen today.

Jennifer Arsuaga's entry is an homage to the 1939 technicolor masterpiece, The Wizard of Oz. She says: When Dorothy opens the door to OZ...that moment...right there...TECHNICOLOR magic!

Joanna Bechtel Chronister also took inspiration from a movie, although hers is a lot more recent. She explains: Jurassic Park was a huge piece of pop culture history as it paved the way for a new era of computer generated movie effects and combined CGI with animatronics bringing the dinosaurs to life. The movie score became iconic and further impacted pop culture history. The movie reinspired people to reignite an interest in paleontology and dinosaur inspired themes. At the time it became the highest grossing film worldwide and earned multiple academy awards. Due to the theme's success, it has inspired sequels, memorabilia, and theme park attractions.

Continuing in the cinematic theme, here's Samantha Thompson's Harry Potter inspired creation. Here's how she describes her connection to this pop moment: When I think of iconic pop culture phenomena from my childhood, the first thing that comes to mind is the Harry Potter film franchise. I’m a 1990’s baby, so I was just old enough to really comprehend the story of Harry Potter when the movies started coming out in 2001. I grew up with a new film coming out every few years and would go to the midnight premiere of each new film with my friends when they were released, often dressed in my Gryffindor robe with wand and chocolate frogs in-hand. When the last film came out, I remember that the billboards didn’t even include the title of the movie, because everyone knew what they were for. That’s gotta be about as iconic of a pop culture moment as they come.

Moving on to music, here's Kristy Thiessen's take on Michael Jackson's Thriller. Yes, she used a fog machine!

Heather Jackson-Lain chose to depict a moment from Taylor Swift's Eras tour., and yes, those are real sparklers!

Here's something a little different. Maddie Miller's entry is called "iTrot": a nod to Apple iPod's "Silhouette Campaign". She writes: My entry is incredibly simple, but so was the original series of advertisements. Obviously it worked, because just about everyone had an iPod in the 2000s and early 2010s. Despite the overall simplistic concept, my diorama features working LED lights, 3d printed "iTrot" devices, sparkly stickers, and a Breyerfest playlist that I think everyone should listen to.

Finally, here's Morgan Lytle's Pop Shove-Its and Power Slides: How Street Skating Birthed The X-Games. She explains: The 90's saw an explosion in "Xtreme" sports as they went mainstream and street skating was at its center. Street Skating Birthed The X-Games in 1995, bringing these Xtreme sports front and center of the world. New heights and tricks were constantly being created and reached. And for young girls like myself watching females such as Fabiola Desilva crush male competition was empowering. Two years later, 1997, the winter X-Games were born. This diorama features three skaters doing very specific tricks.... A Power Slide (grulla horse on left), a Pop Shove-It (center black horse) and a rail grind (appaloosa on right)! I would like to add for the first time in the history of skateboarding, May 2024 to be exact, a female has not only completed BUT landed a 900. A trick only twelve people in the world have completed and landed. This was a huge win for female Xtreme sports enthusiasts!!

Congratulations Erin, Nadia, Olivia, Jennifer, Joanna, Samantha, Kristy, Heather, Maddie and Morgan. All of these dioramas really pop. Thank you so much for sharing them with us!