The Bear’s Picnic by Diane Arrieta has been installed at City Hall Plaza in West Palm Beach, Florida - located at 401 Clematis Street. This commission was funded by Artlife West Palm Beach and the City of West Palm Beach.
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| The Bear's Picnic by Artist Diane Arrieta |
Project description:
The Bear’s Picnic project is founded on the belief that all living beings on this planet - humans, animals, and the environment - are interconnected. With a focus on six of the eight bear species threatened with extinction due to human activities, the project aims to bring bears into our human environment and share a meal, fostering a sense of community and shared responsibility.
Food is a vital aspect of our daily lives, and meals have always been a cornerstone of family life. The picnic provides an opportunity for reflection, storytelling, and learning, with people interacting with the bears in a safe and respectful environment.
In creating the project, a combination of handcrafted items and altered, commercially produced bears and picnic tables are used. This symbolism highlights the way in which wildlife and nature are commodified and exploited for human needs, often with little understanding of the intricate and interdependent relationships between all living beings.
Bears have often been used as decorations for lawns or as selfie props for businesses, perpetuating the idea of wildlife as mere ornaments or products. Through the recontextualization of bears in this project, their importance and value in the natural world are emphasized, highlighting the lost connection between humans and the environment.
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