The Traveling Man Sculpture

The Traveling Man is a sculptural series designed by Brad Oldham, Brandon Oldenburg, and Reel FX Creative Studios. The Traveling Man is a series of three sculptural installations metaphorically representing all that is Deep Ellum. The Traveling Man Sculptures are found in three locations. The first is at Good Latimer between Swiss Avenue and Miranda, directly across from the Deep Ellum DART Station. The second is at the corner of Gaston and Good Latimer. The third is at the corner of Good Latimer and Elm Street. That sculptures are made of stainless steel, and the largest is 38 feet tall and weighs more than 35,00 pounds. The sculptures have been widely acclaimed and quickly became Deep Ellum icons. The artistic concept plants one foot in the rich history of Deep Ellum and the other foot in the neighborhood’s bright future. Born of the railroads in the late 1800s, Deep Ellum took root as a diverse, multi-cultural community with a thriving blues and jazz music scene amongst meat markets, restaurants, bars, theaters, and off-the-beaten-path businesses. In a more recent incarnation, Deep Ellum consisted of trendy shops, lofts, restaurants, nightclubs, live music venues, art galleries, and tattoo parlors. Today, having suffered the loss of numerous businesses, the neighborhood seeks a revival. When DART needed to replace the railway underpass entrance to Deep Ellum, which was covered in colorful murals, to make way for the at-grade passenger rail station, DART made a commitment to the neighborhood to develop a new artistic “gateway.” The Traveling Man ushered in a new icon for the neighborhood, symbolizing Deep Ellum’s history and future.

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