Artwork copyright Merrily Tompkins. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission.

Artwork copyright Merrily Tompkins. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission.

Artwork copyright Merrily Tompkins. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Merrily Tompkins. Photo courtesy of the artist.

The Big Idea, 1983

Merrily Tompkins
American (born 1947, died 2018)

Location: Picnic Point Elementary, Edmonds

About the Artwork

The Big Idea is a sculptural diorama created by late artist Merrily Tompkins. The house-shaped sculpture contains windows into miniature interior scenes. When viewers touch a heart-shaped copper element the interior scenes light up and music plays.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Mukilteo School District.

About the Artist

Artist Merrily Tompkins (1947-2018) created narrative, figurative sculpture and jewelry out of found objects and also worked with paper.
Tompkins was born in Everett, Washington. She studied at the University of Washington in Seattle and Central Washington University in Ellensburg. Tompkins served as a jewelry instructor at Seward Park Art Studio in Seattle, Centrum Foundation in Port Angeles on the Olympic Peninsula, and the Factory of Visual Art in Seattle. She served as an artist-in-residence at The Evergreen State College and Yakima Public Schools.