That’s a Big Picnic Table

Artist Jon Offutt (above) puts the finishing touches on his new creation: a giant picnic table that will be part of our Big Country: FMVA Scale the Plains exhibition. Big Country, opening next week, is comprised entirely of large-scale works by 13 FMVA artists. Offutt, who usually spends his time creating blown-glass objects, jumped at the chance to create this picnic table and bring to fruition an idea he’s had for some time.

So, why a big picnic table? Well, remember what it was like when you were, say, five or six years old and sitting at a table with your family? This is Jon’s attempt to recapture that feeling – your feet dangling over the edge, your eyes barely able to see the objects on the table, etc. The effect is convincing: