Welcome To Braddock

By Karamagi Rujumba ~ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Until a year ago, James Simon, the Pittsburgh sculptor well-known for his larger-than-life impressions cast in concrete, had no reason to spend time in Braddock.

Braddock "wasn't the first place that came to my mind," said Mr. Simon, 52, a Pittsburgh native who lives in Uptown and is recognized for his "Uptown Rhythm" mural at Duquesne University and the 15-foot sculptures known as the "Liberty Avenue Musicians" in Pittsburgh's Cultural District.

That changed last year when he met Braddock Mayor John Fetterman at "a party somewhere in town." A consummate Braddock champion who in recent years has sought to lift up the old steel mill town through art, among other things, Mr. Fetterman talked Mr. Simon into taking a look at what Braddock could offer his artistic passions.