Darrell Davis Sculpture at the River Market

Sculpture at the River Market 2011

The fifth annual exhibit, sponsored by the city and the National Sculptors Guild, Oct. 15-16 in the River Market pavilions.

Work arriving for Sculpture at the River Market

At 3 p.m. today, if you happen to be by the River Market, you'll see a crane lifting in a large sculpture for the fifth annual Sculpture in the River Market show that runs Saturday and Sunday in the pavilions.

This year's show and sale features work by 44 sculptors from all over the country and several from Arkansas. Some will be competing for a $50,000 commission ($25,000 from the Little Rock Advertising and Promotion Commission and $25,000 from private donations) to create a large work for the park. Last year's commission went to Kathleen Caricof for her painted steel Mobius strip "Infinity," which is in the Vogel-Schwartz Sculpture Garden in Riverfront Park, just behind the Peabody Hotel.

For $100, you can preview the sculpture at a party at 6:30 p.m. Friday. There will be hors d'oeuvres, entertainment and drinks along with the chance to see the sculpture before the public. Ticket holders will be able to vote for their favorite proposal for the commissioned sculpture.

The Arkansas artists listed on the Sculpture at the River Market website include Shelley Buonaiuto of Fayetteville, Margaret Warren of Shirley, Ed Pennebaker of Green Forest, Michael Warrick and Terry Bean of Little Rock, Bryan Massey of Conway, John Sewall of West Fork and Gene Sparling of Hot Springs.

Weekend hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Docent tours of the Vogel-Schwartz garden will be at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.