A neighborhood that’s rooted in rich history is combining the old with the new.
A new art installation was installed on the south-side overpass of East Fordham Road just above the Grand Concourse on Friday, September 14.
Titled ‘All Roads Lead to Fordham,’ it’s a ten-foot tall, hand-welded metal circle composed of a variety of vintage wheels with a metallic ‘F’ just off center within the middle of the sculpture.
Put on by the Fordham Road BID as well as NYC Department of Transportation’s Art Program, naturally this transportation-themed piece intends to reflect on Fordham and the Bronx being a gateway for the state of New York. “This is a project that we’ve had in the works since 2015,” said deputy director of the Fordham Road BID, Daniel Bernstein. “Being the transit hub that Fordham Road is, we wanted to display that in a creative, artistic manner and I think that’s exactly what happened here,” he added.
The project’s artist and welder Colin Nicademo, a member of Dylan James Design of Cold Spring, NY has his own connections to the borough, which doubly excited the sculptor since the project’s fruition.
“While I don’t live in the Bronx (now), I did grow up here,” Nicademo said, as he recounted spending much of his childhood throughout the borough with family and friends.
For Nicademo, this was the largest project that he was given the opportunity to tackle so far.
“Since we were working with the DOT, I pitched the concept of All Roads Lead to Fordham having a transportation angle and we all decided to go for it, we wanted to represent Fordham and the Bronx the right way,” Nicademo said.
Finding materials for the project was a unique process for Nicademo as well.
He’s spent ample amounts of time sifting through Bronx junkyards, flea markets, and antique stores to acquire the vintage wagon wheels and carts needed for the project.
That was only the preparation for the project.
“It took a few months just to weld it all together,” the artist said. That welding process started with a large, outer wheel that has smaller ones within itself crossing to make an x-like shape through the middle of the sculpture.
The smaller wheels are of all different shapes and sizes, some are star shaped, while others appear more like gears from an outdated machine that’s all placed on a rustic-themed pedestal.
All Roads Lead to Fordham will be up until spring of 2019 and the BID will be arranging tours with Nicademo during the fall and upcoming winter and spring.
“Fordham is typically known for being just about it’s retail and clothing stores and we want that to change that. There should be more art in this area and to have a beautiful piece that captures the essence of the Bronx, I think that’s something great,” Bernstein said.
