A new public sculpture made its debut Wednesday in downtown Rutland, Vermont, celebrating a figure from the city's history books.
"One more thing which continues to put Rutland on the map," beamed Al Wakefield, a resident of Rutland County.
In recent years, Rutland has been working to grow its reputation for outdoor murals and sculptures.
Wakefield, along with other donors, helped fund the newest addition. He wanted to reverse what he calls a woeful underrepresentation of Black people in public art.
"Hopefully, it'll be one of many—this is but a start," Wakefield said of the larger-than-life bust of Martin Henry Freeman now installed outside Roots, a Rutland restaurant.
The creation got its start some two and half hours south, in Leominster, Massachusetts.
"I'm very proud of it," said Mark Burnett, a lieutenant with the Leominster Fire Department who sculpts on the side.