THE BIG E PARTNERS WITH LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS FOR AN AMERICA 250-THEMED DESIGN CONTEST FOR THEIR AGRICULTURAL MASCOT

The Big E has recruited five local high schools from the Pioneer Valley and tasked their students with designing and executing a creative reimagining of the Fair’s agricultural mascot, Chick-E, minding the 250th anniversary of the United States’s independence. The patriotic Chick-E statues, which have each been carefully hand-painted by high schoolers, will be on display during The Big E, Sept. 18 to Oct. 4, where fairgoers can vote for their favorite design.

Participating high schools include Agawam High School, Holyoke High School, Westfield High School, West Springfield High School and Pope Francis Preparatory School in Springfield, Mass. Fair organizers contacted the heads of each school’s art department to coordinate and provided detailed instructions for weather-proofing student designs, a stipend for supplies and expectations given the mission of fair presenter and host site, Eastern States Exposition, and the America 250 motif.

Agawam High School’s Chick-E is titled “Agawam HER-story.” A total of 18 students contributed to the completion of the statue, which they designed as a “visual representation of the women who have, are and continue to be the foundation of our community,” explained Amber Waters, an art teacher at Agawam High School.

“This includes farmers, teachers, artists, coaches, veterans, entrepreneurs, students, innovators and mentors,” said Waters. “The women of Agawam are always striving to make our community great, and the work of these strong women has created a thread that is woven into the diverse tapestry of our great country. We acknowledge and applaud them as the United States celebrates 250 years.”

Holyoke High School’s painting team consisted of 12 students. Their Chick-E, “Peep,” was inspired by their city’s own history.

“Holyoke was originally home to the Nonotuck, an Algonquin-speaking people,” said Giuseppe Duran, a Fine Arts Teacher at Holyoke High School North. “To honor the Native Americans who first lived in our city, Peep’s wings are painted with feathers traditionally worn by indigenous peoples, and Peep is depicted as a bald eagle, one of America’s most recognized symbols of freedom.”

Additionally, Peep’s tail is painted to resemble an American flag, painted with broad stripes and white stars. A peace sign shines in the statue’s left eye, and fireworks are reflected in the right eye, inspired by the National Anthem’s mention of “the rocket’s red glare.” The entire design is bursting with symbols of independence to celebrate the courage it took to earn our country’s liberation from the British crown.

Westfield High School’s Karen Kane supervised the creation of their Chick-E, “Bomber,” whose name is a nod to their school mascot, but the design takes the reference a step further; Bomber is painted like a pilot in a display of appreciation for the National Guard that works at Barnes Airport in Westfield. Karen Kane of the school’s Art department oversaw the four students—Rylee Rumplik, Kara Sweeney, James Thompson and Eric Villafane—that worked diligently to complete their school’s statue.

West Springfield High School had a lot of fun naming their Chick-E when students opened the decision to a schoolwide vote. The winning name? Ben Chick-man Franklin, named for one of our country’s Founding Fathers.

However, the democratic feedback did not end with the naming of the statue; the painters and larger Art department polled students to find out where their families hail from. Ben Chick-man Franklin was designed to ensure that the more than twenty nationalities represented by the student body each had a place on the statue.

“Ben Chick-man Franklin embodies West Springfield High School’s superpower: the many cultures and languages of our school,” said Anne Charron, Fine and Applied Arts Department Head at West Springfield High School. “His superhero cape was painted by a dedicated crew of more than 20 students from countries like Rwanda, Ireland, Syria and Kyrgyzstan. Our hope was to make Ben a friendly, welcoming representation of The Big E while celebrating the 250th anniversary of America’s founding.”

Jacqueline Boudreau-Kinsey, Art Department Head at Pope Francis Preparatory School in Springfield, Mass., is the point person for their school’s Chick-E. The statue was designed and started upon by the rising upperclassmen in Boudreau-Kinsey’s Advanced Placement (AP) Art class at the end of the 2025-2026 academic year, and their vision will be executed and expanded upon by the juniors that remain as seniors and additional AP Art students at the start of the 2026-2027 year. The statue is sure to be a shining example of creative collaboration.

The statues will be on display in the New England Center among other Creative Arts contest entries throughout The Big E, Sept. 18 through Oct. 4. Follow us on social media, @TheBigEFair, for more details about how you can cast your vote for your favorite design.