By Kelly King
Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
It's the candy house of all candy houses. Nearly four-feet tall, this Dr. Seuss interpretation of a candy house is lined with jelly beans, cherries and rock candy trees. It puts any competition to shame.
Located in the window of Pavilion IX, this work of art was created and decorated by Architecture School Dean Karen Van Lengen, her husband and sculptor Jim Welty and their daughter Kiri.
She said that the towering structure is made out of foam, but then is layered with decorations of frosting and candy.
"My husband usually builds the structure in about a day, but it takes all of us about two or three days to put the candy on it," Van Lengen said.
In its third year of creation, the tradition of building the candy house stemmed from past traditions in Welty's childhood.
Over the past years, the houses have become so extravagant in form, shape and detail that they have become a tradition all their own, she said.
Van Lengen added that she believes that students and faculty really take pleasure in seeing the house.
"It's something unusual and original that we can do different every year. And it's made not bought so it really allows us to demonstrate our creativity," she said.
In the past, she said her family has taken the house to the Architecture School for the students to eat, but that this year there might be a better fate in store for this work of art.
"This year we thought maybe we might donate it to the auction at the Bayly Art Museum," she said.
Van Lengen added that she and her family are still open to ideas about possible future plans for the candy house.
"Maybe we'll auction it off for a new building addition," she laughed.
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