James Simon is an American sculptor and mosaic artist based in Pittsburgh, PA. He is known for his large-scale public art projects-with compositions that celebrate life and diverse cultures.
Early life
James Simon grew up in the Stanton Heights neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He won several national awards for his ceramic talents while attending Peabody High School, where he graduated from in 1972. He felt pulled to see the world and immediately hit the road -mostly hitchhiking and freight train jumping around the US and Canada. He learned carpentry and stained glass skills along the way. James hitchhiked east to west many times particularly exploring California, Oregon and the islands off the coast of British Columbia. He then went to Europe and the Middle East visiting Italy, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India. He lived in Australia and met the aborigines in Darwin. The aborigine's ways and art had a profound influence on his life and work.
In the 1980s, while traveling in England he met acclaimed Hungarian child prodigy violinist and teacher Kató Havas- and followed her to Oxford to study violin. Kato introduced him to Master Luthier Andrew Dipper. James learned how to make violins and varnishes from Dipper and finesse his skills in sculpture and carving. James met Alvaro Escalante through Dipper and he was invited to move to Tepostlan, Mexico. James was influenced by the Mexican muralists such as Diego Rivera and artist Francisco Toledo and was inspired by Aztec, Mayan, and pre-Columbian sculpture.
In the 1990s, James Simon moved to São Paulo, Brazil where he opened a sculpture studio in Villa Madalena, a cultural district of São Paulo. James friended and collaborated with some of São Paulo and Brazils most distinguished artists including mixed media artist Jose Roberto Aguilar and composer and writer Jorge Mautner.
James moved back to Pittsburgh, PA in 2000 where he converted an old warehouse into his studio and living space. He hosted the nationally acclaimed Gist Street Reading series for 10 years starting in 2001. The readings were held monthly and featured local and national poets and writers. The series was directed by Sherrie Flick along with Nancy Krygowski and Rick Schweikert. The series focused on emerging writers publishing their first or second books. He continues to make sculpture and mosaics.
Notable projects
Downtown Pittsburgh's Liberty Avenue Musicians
In 2003 Simon created three 15-foot concrete musicians in downtown Pittsburgh that pay homage to the musical legacy of the city. The project was commissioned by Eve Picker of No-Wall Productions.
Uptown Rhythm at Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
In 2006 Simon created Uptown Rhythm, a 25-foot tall relief sculpture featured as part of Duquesne University’s multi-million dollar development. The themes depict a day-in-a-life scene that celebrates the university and the neighborhood where the school is located. The colorful composition includes sports, music, animals, and street life.
Trumpet Man - Cleveland, Ohio
In 2012 Simon worked with Cleveland, Ohio's Buckeye neighborhood, in collaboration with Cleveland Public Art, ParkWorks, and the Buckeye Neighborhood Development to transform a blighted parking lot into a beautiful pocket park featuring the large-scale Trumpet Man sculpture.
Braddock, Pennsylvania
With the support of Mayor John Fetterman of Braddock, Pennsylvania, an economically depressed industrial town outside of Pittsburgh, Simon worked with the AmeriCorps Braddock Youth Project to create a major public artwork for and with the community. Simon and Braddock's youth created the mosaic "Welcome to Braddock" sign which won Pittsburgh Magazine's "Best Neighborhood Art" award in 2009. Prior to this, in 2008 Simon received a prestigious artist in residency grant from the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation to design and create an exotic aquatic mosaic park, which is located on Verona Street in the center of Braddock. This was a collaboration between Allegheny County, who donated the land, and the Braddock Youth Projects high school students.