A  highly anticipated exhibit in the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum was recently unveiled to the public for the first time. Titled “Clubbed by a Penguin”, the emotionally charged work of art is simply screenshots from the massively popular online game Club Penguin, a multiplayer Disney game that ran from 2005-2017.

“When I first saw it, I was a bit annoyed – I could’ve made this same shit back when I was like ten,” said MSU junior Kevin N. Jonas. “Then, when I stepped back a little, I saw it. It just…it all made sense.”

The artist behind this masterful piece, Alyessiyea Verkatrosky, is a 2013 MSU graduate, who double-majored in studio art and RCAH. She is now a multi-millionaire, with all of her earnings coming directly from her series on online games popular in the 2000s and early 2010s.

“First it was RuneScape, a fantasy game played mostly by huge nerds. Then I tried World of Warcraft, but it was the same type of fans.” She sighed. “I finally hit my stride when I went after kid-friendly Disney properties, like Virtual Magic Kingdom and Club Penguin. Now that was a goldmine.”

After we asked if she only created this popular art for the money, Verkatrosky had a thoughtful answer.

“Yes, absolutely.” She told us.

“Clubbed by a Penguin” will be on display in the Broad from now until Disney agrees to bring the game back.

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