Nina Rennard
It was in 2017, while reading about the lack of representation of women in public art—statistics suggest that less than 7 percent of America’s public memorials recognize women—that Councilwoman Jennifer Mossotti became keenly aware of a specific void in Lexington: There were no existing sculptures commemorating women in the city.
She decided to do something about it. With the help of a steering committee of like-minded civic leaders from throughout the community, Mossotti and fellow Lexington-Fayette Urban County Councilmember Kathy Plomin launched a “Breaking the Bronze Ceiling Initiative” (breakingthebronzeceiling.com) to bring a new sculpture celebrating women to downtown.
As a result of their work, fundraising efforts are underway to raise $500,000 for the project, with many local companies offering in-kind donations to assist with the installation. Lexington plans to dedicate the new public art installation depicting women suffragists at the corner of Mill and Vine streets on Aug. 18, the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave many women the right to vote.
Why do you feel the “Breaking the Bronze Ceiling Initiative” is important for Lexington?
Not only do I think it’s important for the city, I think it’s important for the entire country to acknowledge the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote. It’s a big deal, and I think it’s important that we, in Lexington, promote the historical contributions of women because sometimes they’re very much forgotten.
With all the momentum of the #MeToo movement, finally women are speaking up and saying, ‘We need some recognition here. We need to change things.’ And so that’s now happening.
What is the significance of the sculpture design?
Our selection panel, including artists from throughout the community, reviewed 127 design submissions and selected the one by Tucson-based artist Barbara Grygutis. We had told artists that we didn’t want to have one particular woman depicted, because doing so would invariably leave others out—it forces you to choose one woman over another. Instead, Grygutis’s design will include polished aluminum profiles of five women suffragists to celebrate the perseverance of women as a whole.
We see the sculpture as an educational piece, as well. That is why we worked so diligently as a committee to develop the language that will be inscribed on its base, which explains that while the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote, it did not fully end discrimination or intimidation— since many women of color did not gain full voting access until passage of the Federal Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The location for the installation, on land donated by The Webb Companies, is going to be perfect, right near the Town Branch Trail. It’s going to be this beautiful, 20-foot-tall sculpture, standing on a platform that’s five and a half feet tall. So, it’s going to be huge and make such a powerful and visible impact in downtown.
A rendering of the statue designed by artist Barbara Grygutis.
How can the community get involved in the project?
We have pledges and several outstanding grants, including ones from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Knight Foundation, that have brought us to a total of $420,000. We still need to raise an additional $110,000 that includes a long-term maintenance fund, and our committee is working hard to raise the last stages of funding. We’re doing social media challenges, and people can donate online. We’re also trying to have at least one event a month to help keep the project momentum going.
On March 24 at 7 p.m. at the Kentucky Theatre, we will present a free screening of the HBO historical drama “Iron Jawed Angels,” based on the women’s suffrage movement. In April, Keeneland will host a community celebration day on our behalf to recognize Breaking the Bronze Ceiling and acknowledge top donors who have helped us reach our goal.
When will the sculpture begin to take shape downtown?
The installation will start at the end of July, and delivery will happen on Aug. 1. Installation will take three to five days. The artist will fly in from Tucson to install it, and, barring any unforeseen circumstances, on Aug. 18—the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment—we’ll have a ceremony to unveil the statue and commemorate the anniversary.