70x7 the Meal, act XXXIV, a visual and performative work of public art, is an ongoing series of ritual meals staged by artists Lucy + Jorge Orta. 70x7 represented a departure from Mural Arts’ traditional concept of “public art,” into the field of temporary and ephemeral experiences. Orta designed 70x7 and its imagery (table runners and limited-edition plates) around the horrifying loss of biodiversity and the rapidly disappearing food heritage in the U.S. We brought 900 people around a communal table on 10/5/2013 to sample heirloom produce and to debate the politics of food production and the role heirloom foods play in healthy ecologies and food systems. Before the meal, a four-month “season” of 20+ public events invited Philadelphians to food tastings, cooking demonstrations and tours of weekly famers’ markets and community gardens. Meal-inspired “kits” were also distributed, allowing people to stage their own versions of 70x7.