James Simons installs large-scale gateway sculptures at The Perry Harvey Senior Park, Tampa Florida
TAMPA, FLA.- Imagine what ignites positive urban development—what do you think of? A sculpture? Maybe not the first thing that comes to mind, but James Simon proves it should be.
Simon’s work has pulsed at the heart of redevelopment in numerous urban centers, including his own community in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s Uptown neighborhood; in Vallauris, France, and in Sao Paulo, Brazil. In March 2016, he completed the gateway Sax, Bass, and Dancer sculptures for Perry Harvey, Sr. Park in Tampa, Florida. The park, a public space designed to honor and celebrate 150 years of the city’s black history, showcases Simon’s sculptures, which pay homage directly to the community’s musical history. His unique ability to capture the essence of joy in the past, present, and future of a community makes his sculptures the ideal gateway to celebration.
Emancipated slaves settled this section of Tampa in 1865, and, for a time, black culture flourished there. Music and the arts thrived. Hank Ballard wrote the hit song, “The Twist,” after watching children dance on the main artery, Central Avenue. James Brown, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald and B.B. King performed there. By the 1930s this “Harlem of the South” bustled with a dynamic community. However, the construction of Interstate 4 disrupted Central Avenue and in 1967 race riots erupted. By 1974 over 200 black businesses in the area closed.
Simon believes that during times of struggle the human spirit perseveres and strives to create something beautiful. This celebration of the human spirit is the inspiration for James Simon’s sculpture, and perhaps why in the blind competition of over 200 applicants, his work stood out.
“He seemed like he got the right feel,” says Robin Nigh, the city’s arts manager. “We wanted something fun, celebratory, something that driving by had a ‘wow’ factor and really captured the specialness of the park because it’s a landmark opportunity.”
This ‘wow’ factor, coupled with his desire to utilize the arts as a community builder, made his work the ideal gateway for Perry Harvey, Sr. Park. The park will serve as a centerpiece for the multi-million dollar mixed-use renovation and revitalization of the area. At the unveiling ceremony in April 2016, Tampa’s Mayor, Bob Buckhorn, said, “Simon has created amazing gateway sculptures for our city. You knocked it out of the park with these, James!”