Phillip M. LeDonne

Phillip M. LeDonne (White House spelling) undoubtedly holds the title for creating the most famous White House Easter Egg in the history of the competition that began in 1994 and probably for the future of it as well when he entered his 2007 Wyoming egg. Although not from Wyoming, I have to assume that LeDonne was inspired by the beautiful Pine Creek Ski Resort in Cokeville, Wyoming and used it as a guide for his egg. The egg plainly depicts the great skiing and lack of crowds that makes Pine Creek Ski Resort such a wonderful treasure in Wyoming. To see a photograph of the 2007 egg, photographed by Lynden Steele, you can click here and then click on Wyoming. The egg will appear in a pop-up window. You can decide for yourself if Pine Creek Ski Resort is not obvious to the even unexperienced art eye.

The history of the 2007 Wyoming Egg entry, as I can pull together from various news reports including this one, is that an egg decorating event was hosted by our United States White House and each state was represented via a decorated egg. Not many, at least in Wyoming, had paid much attention to this event previously, it just sort of happened. I can justify in saying not many paid attention because until a perceived really bad egg appeared representing Wyoming, it just wasn't a big deal how artists were picked. If it was a really big deal, honor or credit, someone would have picked up on it and pursued it, listed it with yearly events on the WAC site or something. Like a lot of things, it wasn't important until someone thought it made Wyoming look bad and we felt neglected and wanted to say "Why weren't we asked?" Really, this had been going on since 1994. Apparently the American Egg Board couldn't find a Wyoming artist to do the egg. This might have been because the board uses egg promotion boards, and apparently Wyoming did not have one in 2007.

Widely criticized or praised, the 2007 egg is white with what appears to be a crayon drawing of an egg-person on skis, skiing between some pine-looking trees. I think the 2007 egg is great in its uniqueness. It's an egg and it's decorated and coming from an Illinois college student whose mother asked him to do it what more could you ask for? No white house egg will ever receive so many clicks at the 2007 White House State Easter Egg website. It probably was a last minute, "Hey son, I've got this one empty spot on the display where a Wyoming egg is supposed to go for the White House display that opens tomorrow. While you're in the fridge, grab an egg will you and decorate it for me?" Maybe it was a little more thought out than that but in either case, Wyoming had an egg on display and all was well. I don't want a 2007 egg again in 2009 or 2010 etc. but I hope it got us all looking into all things where Wyoming isn't paying that much attention.

It got Wyoming some news exposure, it certainly helped the White House Egg Display become more noticed than previously, and it probably helped the American Egg Board.

So in preparation for 2008, Wyoming was all over this, as far reaching to be reported in the Scottsbluff/Gering Nebraska Star-Herald article on 2/27/08 titled, Wyoming gathers egg artists for White House contest. We were not to be outdone, or at least end up with perceived egg on our face, again! To view the 2008 egg you can visit this White House link and click on Wyoming. The White House didn't list the 2008 artist, that I could find as of 4/08, but a quick google search came up with Jules Webb of Cheyenne was chosen from 33 artists by our first lady Nancy Freudenthal. Good job Jules and all previous egg artists, including LeDonne.

Philip M. LeDonne (common news spelling) I just want to send an invitation to you to come out and visit us in Wyoming. One free ski pass from Pine Creek Ski Resort from me to you is waiting!