Born of the need to tie DART’s developing rail system to a close-in historic district, the Deep Ellum Gateway Art Project is a three-site metal sculpture installation inspired by the area’s rich multicultural, industrial arts and musical roots as well as its hope for a bright future. At 38-foot-tall The Traveling Man-Walking Tall - with his whimsical guitar-shaped head, robotic torso, open heart and outstretched arms - welcomes visitors and residents at the new rail station. Up the street, two other poses, Awakening and Waiting on a Train, further define The Traveling Man and invite public interaction. Stainless steel birds on the three sites reflect the high aspirations of a community in transition as a modern transit system and sculpture deliver new hope for economic revitalization. The Traveling Man series is sensitively incorporated into the neighborhood on donated and leased land and is exceptionally engineered to withstand time and the elements.