There's a Bear on the Cayce Riverwalk! Well, Sort of.

CAYCE, SC – There’s a Bear on the Riverwalk!  Well, not a live one, but a bear nonetheless. Thanks to Mr. Wade Geddings, a local artist known to many as the ‘Chainsaw Carver in the Carolinas,’ and the Cayce Beautification Foundation, there are several new and unique pieces of public art on the Cayce Riverwalk. These works of art are carved from wood and keep with the natural setting of the popular park. 

Local artists, John and Venetia Sharpe, recommended Mr. Geddings and his artistic abilities to the City. After viewing a sample of Mr. Geddings’s artwork, the Cayce Beautification Foundation commissioned him to create 12 works of art out of fallen trees in the Riverwalk using only a chainsaw. Mr. Geddings’s first piece, a raccoon, carved from a tree, is located on the Timmerman Trail behind the Lexington Medical Park. This piece was sponsored by Cayce resident and Sub Station II owner, Chris Kueny. 

The 12 new pieces commissioned by the Beautification Foundation are located in the area that stretches from the northernmost point of the Cayce Riverwalk (at the gate to the West Columbia entrance) downstream to the train trestles.  So far, Mr. Geddings has completed six of the 12 pieces: a family of turtles, a salamander, 2 owls, a fox, a raccoon and a massive bear at the Naples Avenue entrance to the Riverwalk.   

Cayce Beautification Foundation President Butch Kelly stated, "I love that the City of Cayce did more than ‘lay down’ a concrete path next to the river. Through the continued investment of financial and skilled developmental resources, our city, over time has created an environmental masterpiece!” 

Cayce Mayor Elise Partin championed the commission of the art.  “I felt it was important to have art in the Riverwalk that would be in keeping with the natural setting. Wade’s art adds delight in addition to the peace and beauty of the Riverwalk.  We invite everyone to come to the Riverwalk to discover the 12 pieces. Some of the works of art are right off the path, while others are nestled in the woods in clear view of the path.”

Click on link below to see photos of Mr. Gedding's chainsaw art work!