Picnic in Little Rock

June 2025: Craig Campbell’s newest monumental bronze, PICNIC, began the same way many of his most joyful sculptures do—rooted in a memory and shaped by a sense of wonder. 
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The inspiration comes from Craig’s grandpa, who used to say, “If you go into the woods looking for a bear, you’ll never find him. But if you sit quietly, he may just come around.” That childhood wisdom set the tone for a composition about courage, surprise, and the playful possibilities that unfold when we meet life with openness.

This sculpture was selected as the winning design for the 2025 Sculpture at the River Market Public Art Competition.

Proposal Rendering of Picnic! by Craig Campbell

Update 11/10/2025: Once the clay reached its final state, PICNIC moved to Bronze Services of Colorado to begin the lost-wax casting process. Each section—fur textures, the boy’s helmet, and even the tiny picnic details—are molded and re-poured in wax. A ceramic shell will then be built around each wax form, creating the vessel for pouring molten museum-quality silicon bronze. After casting, the bronze pieces will be welded together, metal-chased, apply patina, lacquer, and wax. This process takes several months and expert foundry artisans to complete, stay tuned for a Spring installation in Little Rock when we can have a PICNIC!

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Update 9/3/2025: In his Philadelphia studio, Craig tackled the clay enlargement. PICNIC captures the perfect moment—a boy perched atop a bounding bear, wide-eyed and unsteady, balancing exhilaration with trust. Each gesture was refined until the entire composition carried the lively motion Craig is known for.

​Structural engineering was developed alongside the sculpture to ensure the dynamic lift of the bear’s form could be safely translated into bronze. The internal stainless-steel armature designed by Martino & Luth anchors the work for long-term stability in an outdoor environment.

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​The sculpture was proposed for the roadway entry into Allsopp Park, a wooded, well-trafficked zone where a sense of whimsy and welcome felt fitting. Digital mockups helped evaluate visibility for pedestrians and slow-moving traffic, ensuring the placement was both safe and engaging.

June 2025: As the winning design of the 2025 Sculpture at the River Market Public Art Competition, PICNIC received an especially enthusiastic response from the community. During the public presentation, the maquette drew instant smiles—its sense of motion and joy resonating with viewers of all ages. The nonprofit’s excitement has only grown as plans move forward to bring the sculpture to its new Little Rock home. As Craig now says, "Let's have a Picnic!"