The artist who created the “Fearless Girl” statue across from the New York Stock Exchange, showing a defiant figure with her hands on her hips, has settled a lawsuit with the financial company that commissioned the statue, according to court documents.
The 250-pound statue was commissioned by State Street Global Advisors to express support for gender diversity in the corporate world, and faced the “Charging Bull” sculpture when it was installed in Bowling Green in 2017. It has been moved to its current location. In 2018.
State Street sued artist Kristen Visbal in 2019, claiming she committed breach of contract and trademark infringement by selling reproductions of the sculpture. Visbal denies her allegations, and she counterclaims that State Street interfered with her ability to spread the artwork's message about gender equality.
State Street and Visbal reached a settlement just before trial scheduled for Monday.
“The parties are proud of the dialogue and change that ‘Fearless Girl’ has brought about over the past seven years,” the two sides said in a short joint statement.
Visbal's lawyer declined to comment on the details of the settlement. Lawyers for State Street did not respond to requests for comment.
The future of the statue remains uncertain.
In 2021, State Street requested a 10-year permit from the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission. The panel ultimately voted to keep the sculpture in its current location for three more years, but deferred a final decision to the Public Design Commission, a panel appointed by the mayor.
In April 2022, the Public Design Committee voted to extend the sculpture's temporary permit for 11 months. According to a spokesperson for the mayor's office, that permit has now expired.
In an email, a spokesperson said the city is working with Visbal and State Street to develop a proposal regarding the fate of the statue, and that the Public Design Commission will review the project once it is formally submitted.