Kingsbridge artist endows formative hangouts

The bronze tortoise-and-hare statue, tucked beside the Van Cortlandt Park track, has long been a quiet fixture in the Bronx. But for Devon Valentin-Dixon, it became something else entirely: a steady presence during slow, careful runs as she recovered from a marathon injury.

With chalk pastel in hand, she returned to the statue not as a runner, but as an artist. Layering muted tones with textured detail, she reimagined the sculpture on paper, titling the piece “Embrace the Pace,” in a nod to the silent lesson the statue offered.

What began as a private act of reflection soon took on new life, blooming into a public tribute to the neighborhoods that shaped her. Before moving to Riverdale at 11, she called Kingsbridge home. 

In recent months, Valentin-Dixon quietly delivered prints of the artwork to a handful of Bronx businesses that have long been part of her everyday life: Kingsbridge Social Club, Lloyd’s Carrot Cake, An Beal Bocht Café, and Bronx Burger House.

“I go to these places all the time,” she said. “They’re woven into my life. So it felt right to give something back.” 

At Bronx Burger House, the staff recognized her from past visits and immediately welcomed the gift, hanging it alongside rows of awards. For the artist, it stands as a quiet thank-you to a place she’s returned time and again.

“She was so polite, so thankful,” Andy Elsa, the restaurant’s head bartender, said. “We love it. Since it symbolizes the neighborhood, it just made sense to hang it with the community awards.”

Valentin-Dixon’s creative muses have long been rooted in engaging with the community. She taught after-school art classes at the Riverdale Y, performed spoken word at local open mics and briefly pursued a degree in art therapy. 

Her first exhibitions came in 2018, after she was invited to a community show by the late George Gutierrez, a Riverdale artist and mentor who curated local gallery programs and supported emerging voices.

“He gave me my first real gallery opportunity,” she said. “He believed in me before I believed in myself.”

That sense of recognition drives her latest project. Rather than seek out gallery walls, Valentin-Dixon has taken to the counters, cafés and storefronts where her work feels most at home. 

“I think a lot about who gets to feel included in the art world,” she said. “Sometimes, a print in a familiar place can be more powerful than something hanging in a gallery.”

To document the effort, she posts short videos on social media — quick clips showing her gifting the artwork. 

The response, particularly from local Facebook groups, has been steady and supportive.

“This started with one drawing,” she said. “But it turned into a way of saying, ‘I see you. And thank you.”

Dave Lindsay, owner of Kingsbridge Social Club, was especially appreciative of Valentin-Dixon’s efforts in the community. 

“She actually went out and had it framed for us, it was really special,” Lindsay said. “It’s such an iconic symbol of the neighborhood. It just made sense to hang it in the restaurant.”

And she’s already thinking ahead — more businesses, more tributes. 

“There’s so much here that makes this place feel like home,” Valentin-Dixon said. “I just want to honor it the way it’s honored me.”