(Photo courtesy of Bob Krasner)
Check out the huge new statue of Ruth Bader Ginsburg in City Point
The large bronze likeness of the Brooklyn native was unveiled to mark the late Supreme Court Justice's birthday and Women's History Month
RBG in the place to be (Courtesy of Bob Krasner)
A huge bronze statue of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is being unveiled in her hometown today.
Created by artists Gillie and Marc before Ginsberg died, the late justice had given the commemoration her blessing. Its permanent home is in City Point in Downtown Brooklyn, and the date of its unveiling was chosen to commemorate Ginsburg’s birthday and to recognize Women’s History Month.
“We had the honor and privilege to create Justice Ginsburg’s dignified likeness in everlasting bronze as a part of Statues for Equality,” said the artists in a statement. “With the two steps on its large base representing the Supreme Court and the climb she made to get there, the work is designed to provide the public with an opportunity to stand at her side, and gain inspiration from her journey fighting for equal rights.”
The unveiling comes just before what is soon to be known as “Ruth Bader Ginsburg Day,” a new Brooklyn holiday to be celebrated on her March 15 birthday. Ginsburg, who passed away September 18, 2020, would have been 88 this month. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has himself promised another, separate statute to commemorate the iconic jurist.
“I am humbled and honored to ring in the joyous occasion,” New York State Assembly member Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn said at the unveiling. “Women are underrepresented in the cultural landscape of our city and it’s about time we change that.”
Like their subject, Gillie and Marc endeavor to increase gender equality with their work: In 2019, they created ten statues of notable women and installed them in New York, raising the percentage of women represented in the city’s public art from 3 percent to a still-wanting 10 percent. Four statues—of Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, Pink, and Jane Goodall—are viewable in front of the Franklin Guesthouse Hotel in Brooklyn.
The Ginsburg statue will be on display at City Point from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Up to 6 people will be able to take up each 20-minute time slot and reservations are available up to 60 days in advance.
Meanwhile, Intersection’s LinkNYC digital displays—those digital phone booths that pepper the sidewalks where Ma Bell’s phone booths used to be–will provide a virtual journey across the city through RBG’s eyes, showcasing local spots that were important to her, including James Madison High School and Brooklyn Borough Hall. The tour comes courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York and you can check it out here.
