‘Fearless Girl’ In New York Fights Eviction, Will Temporarily Keep Her Home

Photo 194834078 © Sergii Figurnyi | Dreamstime.com

The famous Fearless Girl in New York City may be unyielding in the face of a corporate world dominated by men, but for years, she’s had some uncertainties bubbling within. That’s because she has never had a permanent home.

The statue never underwent the usual creation and approval process for public art, which meant that its fate had been hazy from the get-go. Fearless Girl was intended as a temporary artwork for International Women’s Day in 2017, staring down at the Charging Bull of Wall Street with only a one-week permit. But as onlookers connected deeply with the persona, the sculpture was granted an exceptional longer-term stay opposite the New York Stock Exchange at Broad Street.

That permit, too, expired, leaving the statue in a state of vulnerability yet again.

However, the city’s Public Design Commission officials voted on Monday to prolong the installation’s temporary permit by 11 months, allowing it to keep its place until early next year.

As part of this decision, though, they made it known that they couldn’t keep giving out extensions.

Fearless Girl’s commissioner, the State Street Global Advisors financial firm, is now to work with the statue’s artist Kristen Visbal to complete the necessary steps to give it a permanent home, wherever that may be.

In a statement, State Street expressed thanks for the decision and said it would work with the Department of Transportation, the Public Design Commission, and Fearless Girl’s artist to retain her spot “for an extended period.”

Complicating things, however, is the fact that the statue’s owner and sculptor are currently entangled in a lawsuit, so tensions are high. In 2019, State Street sued the artist for selling Fearless Girl replicas and causing “irreparable harm” to the icon’s message of female empowerment. Visbal countersued and argued that State Street was hindering her attempts to share Fearless Girl’s stance on gender equality.

To pay for her legal fees, the artist intends to launch Fearless Girl-themed non-fungible tokens. “I was hoodwinked,” Visbal told the New York Times.

As the typical process for public art in New York was circumvented, the sculptor was left out of State Street’s discussions about the work’s status. This is unusual, says the Times, noting that decisions made for public installations usually prioritize the artist’s opinions.

“The commission should be aware that State Street has sued me, which makes it impossible for them to act as fair agents on my behalf,” Visbal told officials via Zoom, as quoted by the Associated Press. She asked that the city took over the statue because “the only way artists’ rights can be honored and acknowledged is if the city owns the work.”

Hearing her concerns, the commission decided on an actionable effort that would involve the artist so that she could obtain some level of control over the statue. The permit’s limited extension will force the owner, artist, and city to come together and work out the fate of Fearless Girl.

[via The New York Times and Associated Press, cover photo 194834078 © Sergii Figurnyi | Dreamstime.com]