Kristen Visbal

Kristen Visbal (born December 3, 1962) is an American sculptor living and working in Lewes, Delaware.[1] She specializes in lost-wax casting in bronze.[2]

Kristen Visbal
Born	December 3, 1962 Montevideo, Uruguay
Nationality	American
Education	Salisbury University
Alma mater	Salisbury University
Notable work	Fearless Girl

Biography

Visbal was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, the daughter of American Ralph Albert and Elizabeth Krystyniak Visbal; the father was in foreign service there at the time of her birth. She attended the University of Arizona in Tucson 1980-1982 and University of Maryland 1983-1984. She's a Bachelor of Arts summa cum laude at Salisbury State University of 1995.[3][2] She was an apprentice of lost wax fine art casting at Johnson Atelier Foundry, Mercerville, New Jersey, 1995—1998, and is the owner and manager of Visbal Fine Bronze Sculpture in Lewes, Delaware since 1998.

Her most well-known work of public art is Fearless Girl (2017), a 50-inch (1,300 mm) bronze figure installed temporarily on the Bowling Green in Manhattan's Financial District, stirring much international attention and controversy, as it challenges the Charging Bull sculpture of 1989.[4] Visbal has said "The piece is pungent with Girl Power!"[1] Kristen Visbal has since been sued for taking $28,102 from the US Coast Guard Alumni Association to make an Alexander Hamilton statue but allegedly failing to produce the work by the contracted deadline.[5]

Fearless Girl replicas lawsuit

On February 14, 2019, State Street Global Advisors filed a lawsuit against Kristen Visbal, claiming that she has made and sold replicas of the Fearless Girl statue in violation of her contract with the company. The suit claims the artist made at least three unauthorized Fearless Girl reproductions that could damage the company's global campaign in support of female leadership and gender diversity.[6]

Other selected works of public art

• Goddess of the Sea, a mermaid with two dolphins framed in water, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina[7][8]
• The Cradle of Coaches (2009-2011 and 2014), a series of ten 120% lifesize statues of celebrated football coaches (Thomas Van Voorhis, Carmen Cozza, Weeb Ewbank, Paul Dietzel, Red Blaik, Paul Brown, Bo Schembechler, Ara Parseghian, John Pont, John Harbaugh) at Miami University's Cradle of Coaches Plaza in Oxford, Ohio.[9][10][11]
• In Search of Atlantis (2009), a girl swimming with a green sea turtle, Atlantic Beach, Florida[12][13]
• The American Cape (2004), a 12 feet 4 inches (3.76 m) statue of Alexander Hamilton in Hamilton, Ohio; Hamilton's full-length cape represents the 13-star American flag of the time.[14][15]
• Sea Express (2003), a man riding on a bottlenose dolphin, Jacksonville Beach, Florida[16][17]
• Passing the Torch (2002), a statue of Olympic athlete Bob Hayes (1942-2002), Jacksonville, Florida; Hayes wears his 1964 Olympics clothing and carries the Olympic torch.[18][19][20]
• Girl Chasing Butterflies (1998), Merrill Lynch HQ in Plainsboro, New Jersey, and (2005) revised version in Hershey Gardens, Pennsylvania[21][22]

References

1. Flood, Chris (March 8, 2017). "Lewes' Kristen Visbal creates Fearless Girl". Cape Gazette. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
2. MacArthur, Ron (August 7, 2012). "Kristen Visbal's artistic journey continues". Cape Gazette. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
3. "PICS: Artist in uproar as 'Fearless Girl' rivals NYC's bronze bull as major Wall Street attraction". Traveller24. 27 March 2017. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
4. "'Fearless Girl': New statue stares down Wall Street's bull". The Mercury News. Associated Press. March 8, 2017.
5. "Fearless Girl's Kristen Visbal sued for breach of contract". Cape Gazette. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
6. Kinsella, Eileen (2019-02-19). "The Investment Firm That Commissioned Wall Street's 'Fearless Girl' Is Suing the Artist for Making Replicas". artnet news. Retrieved 2019-02-20.
7. "The Goddess of the Sea". Myrtle Beach Downtown Public Arts Initiative. Archived from the original on 12 March 2017. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
8. "Public Art Initiative to hold reception for city sculpture project". WMBF News. 2 December 2014. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
9. "Historic Cradle of Coaches weekend draws near". Miami Redhawks. October 12, 2010. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
10. "John Harbaugh statue unveiled at Miami's 'Cradle of Coaches'". nfl.com. April 19, 2014. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
11. "Cradle of Coaches". Kristen Visbal. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
12. Dixon, Drew (30 May 2009). "Publicly funded statue is erected in Atlantic Beach". Retrieved 10 March 2017.
13. "In Search of Atlantis". Kristen Visbal. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
14. "Alexander Hamilton". Hey! Hamilton. Archived from the original on 19 October 2016. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
15. "The American Cape". Kristen Visbal. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
16. "Oceanfront Park". City of Jacksonville Beach. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
17. "Sea Express". Kristen Visbal. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
18. "Bullet' Bob Hayes Commemorated in Bronze". City of Jacksonville. November 7, 2002. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
19. Emery, Glenn. "Have Track Shoes, Will Travel". Jacksonville Historical Society. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
20. "Passing the Torch". Kristen Vispal. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
21. "Statuesque Beauty in the Gardens" (PDF). Twigs & Gigs: A Publication for Members of Hershey Gardens. 8 (2): 5. Fall 2014. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
22. "Girl Chasing Butterflies". Kristen Visbal. Retrieved 10 March 2017.

External links

• Official website