Bobby Mercier will bring about two decades of carving experience to Riverside Park on Wednesday, August 12, when the Grand Ronde tribal member installs his "Headman" sculpture along the Clackamas River.
The event is free.
The public is invited to a noon celebration at the park, 17298 SE Water Ave. in Clackamas, where Mercier and his family will lead a welcoming ceremony from noon to 1 p.m. Attendees can meet the artist, hear his cultural perspective on the work, and enjoy light refreshments.
The sculpture honors Indigenous leaders who have cared for the Clackamas River watershed for generations. The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, a confederation of more than 27 tribes and bands from western Oregon, northern California, and southwest Washington, includes the Clackamas peoples of the Oregon City area among its constituent groups.
The project is a collaboration led by the Clackamas River Basin Council, with partners including the Clackamas County Office of Tourism and the Sunrise Community Coalition, according to the county's Sunrise Corridor Summer 2026 newsletter.
The effort aims to create public art and interpretive signage connecting visitors with the cultural and ecological significance of the river.
Mercier, who serves as a Cultural Advisor for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, has been carving since the early 2000s. He learned the craft from former Tribal Cultural Education Coordinator Tony Johnson and carver Adam McIsaac, and works in old-growth western red cedar using knives and chisels, according to a 2022 profile in Smoke Signals, the tribe's newspaper.
$240,500 in adaptive access improvements
Separately, Riverside Park will receive $240,500 in upgrades to make the site accessible to people of all ages and abilities.
The project received a $160,333 Metro Community Choice Grant, with Clackamas River Water providing an $80,167 match. Metro's Community Choice program lets residents vote on which projects receive funding; the Riverside Park project was among 42 parks and nature projects awarded a share of more than $26 million across greater Portland in July 2026.
The adaptive access work will add pedestrian paths, landscaping, signage, and site amenities, creating more ways for residents to connect with the Clackamas River.
Both projects are part of the Sunrise Community Coalition's broader push to strengthen public spaces in the Sunrise Corridor.
Other coalition efforts underway include wayfinding signage designed by SeaReach Ltd., with installation anticipated in 2027, and tree plantings at Riverside Park.
Upcoming community events
- Wednesday, August 12: Headman sculpture installation and welcoming ceremony, Riverside Park, 17298 SE Water Ave., Clackamas, noon to 1 p.m. Free and open to the public.
- Late September–October 2026: Sunrise Community Coalition free fall workshop series covering tenant rights and financial wellness. Registration details forthcoming.
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