Find the Conway Critters in downtown

The Conway Critters, Coastal Carolina University’s sculpture collaboration with the City of Conway, were unveiled at a recent city meeting.

The eight bronze animals/critters, the brainchild of Conway City Councilwoman Jean Timbes, were designed and constructed by three CCU art students – Erin Ryan, Chris Kunk and Brittany Clark – under the guidance of assistant professor of art Alexandra Knox.

The critters are Augustus the Alligator, Beauregard the Black Bear, Gaston the Frog, Maggie the Squirrel, Maisie the Mouse, Ollie the Owl, Sweet Pea the Rabbit and Timmy the Turtle. They have been placed in specific locations in the historic downtown section of Conway.

These particular animals were selected because they are indigenous to the area.

The 15-inch bronze animals were designed over a two-year period and will lead visitors on a trip around Conway, giving children something to do while their parents shop. There is also a coloring book ($4) that accompanies the critter walk.

The walk will start at the Visitor Center, now called Fifth and Main, the First United Methodist Church’s graveyard, Kingston Park at the corner of Main Street and Fourth Avenue, the City Hall clock and fountain with the three final critters placed around the city’s riverfront.

Timbes says the idea came from Greenville’s Mice on Main, a public art project developed around the children’s book “Goodnight Moon.”