The Unveilings

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THE UNVEILINGS

 

New York, NY: Bowling Green Park

Above: Members of the unveiling parties triumphant (photo credit: Federica Valabrega).
The Artist with her creation.

March 7, 2017

Fearless Girl was originally presented as a guerrilla act conjured by McCann New York and standing up against the glass ceiling regarding inclusion, promotion and equal pay women face in the Wall Street community. The Artwork was placed 25 feet from Charging Bull, another sculpture created by Italian artist Arturo di Modica, as a symbol of the strength of the American financial system and the American public. Over time, the bull also came to symbolize the Wall Street community. Fearless Girl’s global popularity is due largely to her significance in the fight for gender equality. Installed under cover of nightfall, the work was unveiled on the morning of March 7th 2017, the day before International Women’s Day, and continues to inspire and empower.

From the press release written for the original sculpture which was known prior to unveil as Taking A Stand:

“All women should relate to this work. It should inspire the young to dream as if anything were possible and simultaneously encourage today’s working woman to hold her ground, no matter what challenges may come barreling down the pike. It says soft and sensitive equals strong and capable. This is a work all women of any age, shape, color or creed can relate to. A work which reminds us today’s working woman is here to stay and has taken her place in the nation’s financial district. The piece is pungent with Girl Power!”

Permitting past the initial 7 days was sponsored by State Street Bank of Boston. State Street presented the results of the gender diversity studies which date back to the early 60’s and which lend credibility to the wisdom of gender collaboration resulting in a better environment, increased productivity and profitability.

McCann New York
State Street Global Advisors

 

New York, NY: The New York Stock Exchange

Photo credit for all three photos above: T. Whitney Cox

December 10, 2018

In December, 2018, State Street Bank removed the original casting to the New York Stock Exchange where she remains today as an inspiration and a symbol of empowerment. The financial lobbied to achieve the status of permanence for the work a designation not typically assigned to any sculpture in the metropolis.

The figure donned the lace collar in commemoration of the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, an iconic advocate for women’s rights who died at age 87 in 2020. The sculpture has been adorned with the pink hat, the Wonder Woman headpiece, the Salvation Army apron among many other symbolic attire and has been seen regularly wearing a mask during the Covid 19 pandemic.

The New York Stock Exchange

 

Oslo, Norway: Parliament

Above: Fearless Girl faces off against Parliament (photo credit: Grand Hotel Oslo).
Fearless Girl is graced with a plaque which clearly states what the Artwork stands for.
The Plaque.
The unveiling party assumes the Fearless Girl pose (shown at center: Sponsor Christian Ringnes).

March 8, 2018

The sculpture was placed in Oslo facing the Parliament building in March, 2018 in order to send a message regarding the necessary inclusion of women in government. The figure was unveiled during a quiet private ceremony and is graced with a plaque which outlines what the figure stands for.

As of September 1, 2021, there are only 26 women serving as Heads of State and/or Government in 24 countries. At the current rate, gender equality in the highest positions of power will not be reached for another 130 years.

UN Women Facts and Figures:
Women’s Leadership and Political Participation

The proportion of women in national parliaments around the world is growing, but they are still underrepresented. As of April 1, 2019, the global average of women in national assemblies is 24.3 percent.

Wikipedia: Women in Government
Grand Hotel, Oslo

 

Melbourne, Australia: Federation Square

Above: Breakfast attendees assume the Fearless Girl pose in a demonstration of how the position inspires strength.
Panel members discuss equal pay.
Students participated in the panel discussion.
Unveiling attendees and Maurice Blackburn’s Rebecca Hanlan (far right).
Young girls enjoy breakfast pre-unveil.
Attendees at Federation Square.
Fearless Girl enjoys an elevated placement at Federation Square.
Young ladies get to know the icon.

February 26, 2019

A February 26, 2019 placement of Fearless Girl at Federation Square in Melbourne, Australia was presented by Maurice Blackburn, a social justice law firm committed to equal pay and touting the motto “We Fight For Fair”. Super Annuation funds Cbus and Hesta, servicing the building and health industries through government mandated pension plans, were invited to participate. The “Supers” sponsored a breakfast and a panel discussion focused on closing the gender pay gap and encouraging leadership opportunities for women as well as achieving gender parity and debating strategies for flexible work schedules in support of child bearing women. The sculpture was the third in the limited edition to be unveiled.

Maurice Blackburn Lawyers

 

London, England: Paternoster Square

March 5, 2019

In their ongoing call for women on boards, State Street Global Advisors unveiled a second Fearless Girl casting at Paternoster Square near the London Stock Exchange where she remained from March 5 through June 4, 2019. SSGA’s exchange traded gender diversity index fund, SHE, a fund with at least one woman on the Board seeks to provide investors greater exposure to those US companies with gender diverse senior leadership, returns corresponding with said index fund. The gender diversity studies originated in the early sixties and provide irrefutable proof that companies who employ women at every level of the organization and who incorporate them in leadership positions realize a more enjoyable environment that is less litigious, more productive and more conducive to decisions that are more profitable. A “critical consensus” of at least three women or 30% of decision makers must be reached in order for gender collaboration to be achieved and to impact a final decision for maximum return.

Impact of Women’s Participation and Leadership on Outcomes
Women on Boards — Progress Report 2017
Women on Corporate Boards (Quick Take)
More Women at the Top Could Spell Less Corporate Trouble
BBC News: Fearless Girl Statue in London Promotes Female Leaders

 

Stevensville, Maryland: St. Timothy’s School

Above: St. Timothy students and the Artist pose for group shots post unveil.

May 17, 2019

The fifth casting of Fearless Girl was unveiled on May 17th, 2019 at St. Timothy’s private boarding school for girls grades 9 through 12 in Stevensville, MD. The school, which hosts children from 27 different countries, strives to guide young women in achieving their full potential and touts the motto “Vérité Sans Peur”, which, translated from the original French, means “Truth Without Fear”, a fitting match for Fearless Girl. Donated by an anonymous donor, the sculpture was installed in front of the brand new Five Arts And Student Center which houses the school’s literature, theatre, dance, visual arts and music programs as well as a 320 seat theater. A formal ribbon cutting occurred in conjunction with a visit by the Artist, Kristen Visbal. St. Timothy’s offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, a demanding two year pre-university course for highly motivated students. The program is recognized by leading universities globally.

Visbal addressed the girls, focusing on their ability to cultivate inner strength and to overcome life’s hurdles. She asked that they adopt the motto I KNOW I CAN and suggested they ignore gender stereotypes and understand we, as individuals, cannot reach our peak potential without the opposite gender.

“Embrace your individuality. You are powerful! If no one is telling you that, you must tell yourself. Every time a doubt creeps into your mind, push it aside and tell yourself ‘I can!’ We all know the story of the little engine who said ‘I think I can!’ ‘I think I can!’ Your mantra from now on is ‘I KNOW I can!’ Know that you have something special to contribute. You can be and do anything you want. Anything.” An excerpt form the Artist’s student address.

St. Timothy’s School