Bronze statue of woman turning heads in busy Times Square

WCBS

By Zinnia Maldonado

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    NEW YORK CITY (WCBS) — A new statue is turning heads in Times Square. The 12-foot tall bronze sculpture was unveiled last week.

In the bustling Crossroads of the World, the statue is already making people stop and reflect.

The piece, created by artist Thomas Price, depicts a young woman. So who is she? Whoever you want her to be.

“Me being a plus-size Black woman, I was kind of looking at it like, I wonder what me as a small child would’ve thought looking at something like that, representation,” said Blessing Obieze, of Dallas.

“It instantly stood out as powerful,” said Bryan Woodson, of Kansas.

The sculpture is part of a series called “Grounded in the Stars,” which organizers say confronts preconceived notions of identity and representation.

“To have this work here is making a statement, potentially asking questions, about what we value as a city, as a society, and hopefully it’s a tribute to our shared humanity,” Times Square Arts Director Jean Cooney explained.

Statue described as “powerful” and “purposeful”

Tourists and New Yorkers shared different interpretations of what the statue represents to them.

“It’s a plus-size woman, I’m a plus-size man. I’m African American, it’s an African American woman statue,” Woodson said. “So just seeing another piece for me to stop and have a moment with was very powerful to me.”

“If you look at the eyes, it’s looking straight at something. It’s focused, it’s purposeful,” said Ruby Chirackal, of Greenwich Village.

The sculpture is proving to be a well-liked juxtaposition among the more traditional statues in Times Square, which is the goal of placing artwork in such a prominent area, organizers say.

“Coming from a person of color background, it’s really nice to see something come across as this everyday person,” Chirackal said. “It looks a little bit out of place, but I also think that’s because of where we are standing. It might not look out of place if everything in our surrounding reflected everyday life more to us.”

The piece will be on display until June 17.

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