A four-foot tall bronze sculpture of a young girl, with hands on her hips and chin held up defiantly, has been installed across from Wall Street’s iconic bull sculpture, as though she is challenging it, or daring it to charge her. The sculpture comes just in time for International Women’s Day, which falls on March 8, 2017.
Though initially thought to be installed by a mystery figure sometime between Monday and Tuesday night, McCann New York and State Street Global Advisors (SSGA) have taken responsibility for the sculpture’s presence. The piece, titled The Fearless Girl, comes as part of a call for more women advisors on corporate boards.
Kristen Visbal’s The Fearless Girl statue on Wall Street. Courtesy of State Street.
A plaque laid at the girl’s feet reads: “KNOW THE POWER OF WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP/SHE MAKES A DIFFERENCE.”
“A key contributor to effective independent board leadership is diversity of thought, which requires directors with different skills, backgrounds and expertise,” said Ron O’Hanley, president and chief executive officer of SSGA. “Today, we are calling on companies to take concrete steps to increase gender diversity on their boards and have issued clear guidance to help them begin to take action.”
“The Fearless Girl” was created by artist Kristen Visbal, and will remain for at least a week in the New York City’s Bowling Green Park, as McCann is negotiating with the city for her to become part of the permanent NYC art program.
Kristen Visbal’s Fearless Girl statue stands facing Arturo Di Modica’s iconic Charging Bull sculpture as tourists take pictures. Di Modica alleges that Fearless Girl infringes upon his copyright, distorts his artistic message, and should be moved elsewhere. Courtesy of Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images.
“Wall Street is a traditionally male environment and (the statue) says, ‘Hey, we’re here,’” Visbal told the Wall Street Journal. “To me, it says a woman can be delicate and petite but strong.”