Architecture . Community Art . Neighborhood Design

The Community Table for People and Pollinators is a large scale table on Artists’ Row that encourages people to stop, sit, eat, learn about native plants, make friends, and discover art in public space. The table represents an imagined landscape of creativity with a collage of artful and natural materials form local artists and surrounding natural areas aimed to nourish local communities. The integration of native plant gardens for pollinators aims to expand the notion of community to that of the smallest endangered creatures in our ecosystem. Aesthetics: inspired by Artists’ Row tenants materials, natural materials found on the forest floor, and pollinators, the AiR created a collage as the aesthetic inspiration for the project Form: several options from triangular to square to rectangular elements were considered. Ultimately, the selection of the palette as the primary material resulted in the base square form that could be arranged in a variety of configurations Materials: included pallets a mixed media tabletop mosaic from artful and natural materials was developed to create a tabletop landscape of discovery that integrates the work of Artists’ Row tenants as well as our natural surroundings. Plants: Native perennial plants for pollinators add green space in an imaginative way to the Community Table and attract butterflies and bees to catalyze curiosity and conversation on the subject of pollinators. Use: Initially, the Community Table would only be accessible during Artists’ Row hours for fear of damage and undesirable activities. In a later meeting with the Public Art Commission, it was determined that a more permanent fixture would better create a destination space, a stated project goal and worth the risk.

Community Table for People + Pollinators

September 28, 2018

The twenty-foot long Community Table for People and Pollinators is an inclusive art-making project constructed over five Thursdays during the local Farmers’ Market. We celebrated the completion with a community potluck.

The tabletop is inspired by the Artists’ Row tenants' crafts, local landscapes, and pollinators: a collage ecosystem where people can explore, eat, and enjoy. We used free pallets and a mixed media tabletop mosaic with donated materials that allowed us savings we used for stipends to local artists.

The imagined landscape integrates native perennial plant gardens for pollinators and expands the notion of community to include endangered butterflies and bees. In its second season, local residents have started a weekly “Urban Picnic” at the Community Table on Thursday afternoons.