NEW YORK -- A Harlem traffic triangle has been transformed into a public art project, with a memorial honoring the abolitionist Harriet Tubman.

The 15-foot, bronze sculpture, titled "Swing Low," includes portraits of Underground Railroad users on Tubman's skirt, some inspired by miniature West African masks. Tiles around the base depict events in Tubman's life and traditional quilting patterns.

Plantings native to New York and Tubman's native Maryland represent the terrain of the Underground Railroad.

The sculpture by Alison Saar (SAHR) was commissioned through New York City's Department of Cultural Affairs.

Schoolchildren sang during the rainy dedication ceremony on Thursday.

Tubman, who also served the Union Army as a scout, spy and nurse in the Civil War, died in 1913 and was buried in Auburn, N.Y.