Subscribe
Search
ePaper
Newsletters
Subscribe
ePaper
Newsletters
Art market
Museums & heritage
Exhibitions
Books
Podcasts
Columns
Technology
Adventures with Van Gogh
Art market
Museums & heritage
Exhibitions
Books
Podcasts
Columns
Technology
Adventures with Van Gogh
Search
Public art
news

Central Park gets its first monument honouring women’s rights advocates on 100th anniversary of suffrage

Hillary Clinton attended the unveiling of the statue depicting Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Sojourner Truth

Nancy Kenney
26 August 2020
Share
The sculpture depicting Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Sojourner Truth in Central Park

The sculpture depicting Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Sojourner Truth in Central Park

A bronze statue depicting three pivotal women’s rights advocates, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Sojourner Truth, was unveiled today in Central Park in New York, marking the 100th anniversary of ratification of the 19th Amendment guaranteeing the right of US women to vote.

The event drove home how few women are represented in the city's statues of historic figures depicting women. As quoted by CNN, Pam Elam, the president of Monumental Women, the organisation that has led the campaign for the creation of the sculpture, says that only five of the city's 145 statues of historic figures depict women. And this one is said to be the first in Central Park to depict real women, as opposed to fictional characters like Alice in Wonderland.

Anthony, a forceful women’s rights activist, and Stanton, who earlier established a profile as an abolitionist, together pushed for women’s suffrage. Truth, who was born into slavery but later escaped, championed abolition and women’s rights in heralded speeches.

"We’re still fighting so that every eligible American can cast their ballot and know their vote will be counted regardless of race, age, or geography," posted the former Secretary of State and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who attended the unveiling. "It's a battle worth fighting, and one we have to win."

“As we struggle towards greater justice, we need and deserve a monument commemorating some of the important work that has come before us,” the monument’s sculptor, Meredith Bergmann, was quoted as saying. “My hope is that all people, especially girls and boys, will be inspired by this scene of women of different races, different religious backgrounds and different economic status working together to change the world.”

Public artSculptureNew YorkCentral ParkWomen's rights
Share
Subscribe to The Art Newspaper’s digital newsletter for your daily digest of essential news, views and analysis from the international art world delivered directly to your inbox.
Newsletter sign-up
Information
About
Contact
Cookie policy
Data protection
Privacy policy
Frequently Asked Questions
Subscription T&Cs
Terms and conditions
Advertise
Sister Papers
Sponsorship policy
Follow us
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
LinkedIn
© The Art Newspaper