Artwork copyright Tom Otterness. Photo courtesy of the artist, by Hans J. Matschukat.

Artwork copyright Tom Otterness. Photo courtesy of the artist, by Hans J. Matschukat.

Artwork copyright Tom Otterness. Photo by Toni Johnson.

Artwork copyright Tom Otterness. Photo courtesy of the City of Connell.

Artwork copyright Tom Otterness. Photo by Toni Johnson (detail).

Artwork copyright Tom Otterness. Photo by Toni Johnson.

Artwork copyright Tom Otterness. Photo by Toni Johnson.

Post Office, 2010

Tom Otterness
American (born 1952)

Location: City of Connell, Connell

About the Artwork

Tom Otterness' "Wild Life" series consists of six whimsical, bronze sculptural groups. They invite passersby to join the animals and tiny people at picnic tables along the town's main streets. They are spread around the small, rural town of Connell (population just over 5,000), in Central Washington. Post Office depicts several scenes: a coyote that has ordered a mouse in the mail, a hopeful frog prince receiving a letter from a princess, and a small woman with a letter full of children. Otterness says that "The sculptures commemorate and reflect on small town life. Animals from the surrounding countryside have come to Columbia Street to interact with people in their everyday activities."

The artist also created a Wild Life Coloring Book that invites children (of all ages) to write stories about and draw pictures of their favorite sculptures by Otterness. It is linked below under "Lesson Plans and Documents" as a PDF.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with City of Connell.

About the Artist

Otterness’s artworks are installed in public spaces around the world, including several playgrounds. In the United States, you may have seen his sculptures at the Cleveland Public Library, New York City subway stations (14th Street and 8th Avenue), Phoenix Convention Center, San Francisco General Hospital, Wichita Art Museum, and more. His art is also found in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Guggenheim Museum, among many others.