Inspiration Plaza Little Rock

Update 10/18/2023: ​We’ve loaded up this morning and have #SculptureOnTheMove to #LittleRock AR. This truck has 5 sculptures, 2 bases, and a bunch of stainless steel structures for installation and footings. But wait, there’s more; we’ll have another two truck loads lined up for one of these projects.

Special thanks to Denny Haskew, Mark Leichliter, Art Castings of Colorado, and Shippers' Supply Custom Pack for help with creating, packing and loading; and Landstar Trucking for getting our artwork to its new home where Sculpture at the River Market will receive it and Little Rock Parks & Recreation will help us install. #SculptureIsATeamSport

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Update 9/22/2023: All Summer, into Fall, we've been at work on this multifaceted placement, craning out the bronze sculpture from the NSG Sculpture Garden to the foundry, picking out the stone pavers at Tribble Stone, checking on the basalt columns in Seattle, making templates for the sculpture and the columns, reworking the structural stainless steel undercarriage of the sculpture to fit the new engineering requirements, creating structures for the stone. Strategizing on the logistics of material gathering, packing, loading, shipping and installation timing. It's complex, but we know this plaza will be striking in the end and cannot wait to see the lights that first evening by the river in Little Rock.

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6/20/23: The National Sculptors' Guild were contracted by Sculpture at the River Market to create "Inspiration Plaza" designed by John Kinkade for Little Rock, Arkansas.

A 16-foot circle of dark stone pavers, at the center of the plaza will be the bronze sculpture "I Am You", by Denny Haskew. At 14-feet tall, this is the largest self supported cast bronze canopy to date. It is an uplifting piece about human connection. The inside portion of the drapery is covered in 22-kt gold leaf. The sculpture will be based on 3.5-foot basalt columns uplit by embedded light fixtures. 

A buff colored paver pathway will curve away from the center circle. These pavers will match the Dakota sandstone used near the site. On each end of the curved walkway will be four 7-foot tall basalt columns capped with stainless steel light diffusers that are patinaed gold designed and fabricated by Mark Leichliter. The caps will range in height from 24” to 32”. Each cap will be customized to fit the irregular basalt columns. The columns will be natural on all sides except for the side facing the center of the walkway which will be polished. The polished sides will be engraved with inspirational verse. One column will have two polished sides to have the name of the plaza, the date, the donor’s names and the artists/designer’s names engraved on. Each of the polished surfaces will be uplit by a light fixture that is embedded into the stone pavement.

The rest of the plaza will include 24” x 12” pavers that are natural on top and bottom, and sawn sides. Six trees will be planted in the two ellipse landscape areas. Six approx. 2-foot cube donor benches can optionally be added in a semi-circle lining the grass areas of the center plaza to allow a space to sit and contemplate the sculpture.

We believe this placement, central to the River Front Park, will draw and unite the community together and are proud to be part of it.