Statue of George Floyd
The statue in 2021
Map
ArtistStanley Watts
Year2021 (2021)
MediumBronze
SubjectGeorge Floyd
Weight700 pounds (320 kg)
LocationNewark, New Jersey, U.S.
Coordinates40°43′54″N 74°10′26″W / 40.7318°N 74.1740°W / 40.7318; -74.1740

A bronze statue of George Floyd (1973–2020), an African-American man who was murdered by police in Minneapolis, was completed by Stanley Watts and unveiled in 2021.[1] It is situated outside Newark, New Jersey's City Hall in Government Center.[2]

Description

Weighing 700 pounds (320 kg),[2] the statue is of Floyd sitting relaxed on a bench. Watts said of the statue that "The world needed a peaceful George".[3]

History

The statue was commissioned by Leon Pickney.[4] The piece was briefly displayed at Faison Firehouse Theater in Harlem, New York.[5] It was donated to the city of Newark and installed on Juneteenth, 2021, and is to remain at its present location for at least one year.[2]

Days after installation, on the night of June 24, the sculpture was vandalized. The face of the statue was painted black, with the name of a neo-Nazi group painted on its torso.[4] The paint was removed shortly after by the Newark Public Works Department.[6] The statue was vandalized a second time by a 37-year old actor in October 2021.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ O'Kane, Caitlin (June 18, 2021). "700-pound bronze statue of George Floyd unveiled in New Jersey". CBS News. Archived from the original on June 21, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "700-pound bronze statue of George Floyd unveiled in New Jersey". WFMZ-TV. June 18, 2021. Archived from the original on June 19, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  3. ^ Spocchia, Gino (June 18, 2021). "George Floyd statue unveiled at Newark City Hall in New Jersey weighs 700 pounds". The Independent. Archived from the original on June 18, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  4. ^ a b "George Floyd statues vandalized in NJ, NYC ahead of Derek Chauvin's sentencing". WPVI-TV. June 25, 2021. Archived from the original on August 5, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  5. ^ Armstrong, Linda (June 3, 2021). "George Floyd statue finds temporary home at Faison Firehouse Theater". New York Amsterdam News. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  6. ^ Sheldon, Chris (June 24, 2021). "George Floyd statue in Newark vandalized with graffiti, police say". NJ.com. Archived from the original on June 25, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  7. ^ Siemaszko, Corky (October 28, 2021). "Actor charged after George Floyd statue vandalized in NYC". NBC News. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
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