The four-foot bronze “Fearless Girl” statue was removed from her spot across from the iconic “Charging Bull” in Bowling Green Tuesday night, AMNew York reports, and is on her way to a more pedestrian friendly spot in front of the New York Stock Exchange. Since its appearance in 2017 a day before International Women’s Day, sending a message to Wall Street for the need of gender equality in the financial world, the diminuitive statue has become a major attraction, drawing millions of tourists and locals. State Street Global Advisors, the investment company that owns the statue, said she’d be installed in her new home by December 31.
Fearless Girl and Charging Bull statues on Wall Street; via Anthony Quintano’s Flickr
In place of the statue, the company has installed a plaque with two footprints, letting visitors know the #FearlessGirl statue is “on the move” to a new spot and to “stand for her” in the meantime. The relocation of the statue, which was created by artist Kristen Visbal, will alleviate safety issues that had been arising from the crowds that regularly gathered on the narrow Broadway median. Her new home is an area with very little vehicular traffic.
The statue was only expected to stay for a week, but it struck a nerve, and Mayor Bill de Blasio extended the permit that allowed it to stay for more than a year. The mayor announced in April that it would be moved to a new location that would maintain its symbolism in a more pedestrian-friendly spot than Bowling Green: “We are proud to be home to the Fearless Girl. She is a powerful symbol of the need for change at the highest levels of corporate America—and she will become a durable part of our city’s civic life. This move to a new location will improve access for visitors and ensure that her message and impact continues to be heard. We’re grateful to State Street for their partnership in keeping the Fearless Girl here in New York City.”
“I am thrilled Fearless Girl will remain in New York, inspiring global collaboration between genders for better decisions, and an improved environment at every strata of society,” said “Fearless Girl” sculptor Kristen Visbal.
[Via AMNY]