Meredith Bergmann is an American

sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems ( oral or wri ...

, and essayist whose work is said to "forge enriching links between the past and the concerns of the present." She studied at

Wesleyan University Wesleyan University ( ) is a private liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church and with the support of prominent residents of Middletown, the col ...

and graduated from The Cooper Union with a BFA. While at Cooper Union she discovered

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable ...

and spent several years traveling around Europe and studying in Pietrasanta, Italy. Her memorial to

Countee Cullen Countee Cullen (born Countee LeRoy Porter; May 30, 1903 – January 9, 1946) was an American poet, novelist, children's writer, and playwright, particularly well known during the Harlem Renaissance. Early life Childhood Countee LeRoy Porter ...

is in the collection of the New York Public Library. In 2003, she unveiled the

Boston Women's Memorial The Boston Women's Memorial is a trio of sculptures on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall in Boston, Massachusetts, commemorating Phillis Wheatley, Abigail Adams, and Lucy Stone. Overview The idea of a memorial to women was first discussed in 1992 in ...

Commonwealth Avenue Mall Commonwealth Avenue (colloquially referred to as Comm Ave by locals) is a major street in the cities of Boston and Newton, Massachusetts. It begins at the western edge of the Boston Public Garden, and continues west through the neighborhoods o ...

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

which includes statues of

Phillis Wheatley Phillis Wheatley Peters, also spelled Phyllis and Wheatly ( – December 5, 1784) was an American author who is considered the first African-American author of a published book of poetry. Gates, Henry Louis, ''Trials of Phillis Wheatley: Ameri ...

Abigail Adams Abigail Adams ( ''née'' Smith; November 22, [ O.S. November 11] 1744 – October 28, 1818) was the wife and closest advisor of John Adams, as well as the mother of John Quincy Adams. She was a founder of the United States, an ...

, and Lucy Stone. In 2006, Bergmann's statue of the famous

contralto A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typica ...

Marian Anderson Marian Anderson (February 27, 1897April 8, 1993) was an American contralto. She performed a wide range of music, from opera to spirituals. Anderson performed with renowned orchestras in major concert and recital venues throughout the United ...

was unveiled on the campus of

Converse College Converse University is a private university in Spartanburg, South Carolina. It was established in 1889 by a group of Spartanburg residents and named after textile pioneer Dexter Edgar Converse. It was originally a women's college but now admits ...

Spartanburg Spartanburg is a city in and the seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. The city of Spartanburg has a municipal population of 38,732 as of the 2020 census, making it the 11th-largest city in the state. For a time, the Offi ...

, South Carolina. In 2010, Bergmann created a sculpture of a slave girl named Sally Maria Diggs, or "Pinky," whose freedom was purchased for $900 in 1860. Bergmann also completed a commission commemorating the events of

September 11, 2001 The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerc ...

for New York City's Cathedral of St. John the Divine entitled ''Memorial to September 11''.

''Women's Rights Pioneers Monument''

On August 26, 2020, the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution granting women the right to vote, her ''

Women's Rights Pioneers Monument The ''Women's Rights Pioneers Monument'' is a sculpture by Meredith Bergmann. It was installed in Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, on August 26 ( Women's Equality Day), 2020. The sculpture is located at the northwest corner of Literary Wal ...

'' was dedicated in

Central Park Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban park in the United States, with an estimated ...

, New York City. Commissioned by

Monumental Women The ''Women's Rights Pioneers Monument'' is a sculpture by Meredith Bergmann. It was installed in Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, on August 26 (Women's Equality Day), 2020. The sculpture is located at the northwest corner of Literary Walk ...

, it portrays and honors suffragists Sojourner Truth,

Susan B. Anthony Susan B. Anthony (born Susan Anthony; February 15, 1820 – March 13, 1906) was an American social reformer and women's rights activist who played a pivotal role in the women's suffrage movement. Born into a Quaker family committed to s ...

, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. It is Central Park's first statue depicting historical, and not fictional, female figures. The foundry responsible in delivering the work i
UAP
(formerly named Polich Tallix.)

Selected exhibitions

2018 Breaking the Bronze Ceiling, NY State Museum, Albany NY 2017 National Sculpture Society 84thAnnual, Brookgreen Gardens, SC 2016 The Christa Project, Cathedral of St. John the Divine, NY 2011 Migrations, Proteus Gowanus, Brooklyn, NY September 11, Cathedral of St. John the Divine, NY 2010 Artist and Artifact, Brooklyn Historical Society, NY The Great Nude Invitational, NYC 1996 Biography Memorials, Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx NY 1993 Surprise!, Elaine Benson Gallery, Bridgehampton, NY 1992 Growing Up, West Side YMCA, NYC

Awards

2019 Augustus St. Gaudens Artistic Achievement Award, The Cooper Union 2017 Proskauer Prize, National Sculpture Society 2008 Brooklyn Historical Society Residency 2003 Grand Circle Foundation for Boston Women's Memorial 2002 Edward Ingersoll Browne Fund for Boston Women's Memorial 2001 Barbara Lee Family Foundation for Boston Women's Memorial 1997 Fellowship for Sculpture, New York Foundation for the Arts 1983 Fellowship for Sculpture, New Jersey State Council On the Arts 1982 Project Grant, New York State Council On the Arts 1977 The Eliot Lash Award for Sculpture, The Cooper Union

References

Living people Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century American sculptors Cooper Union alumni Wesleyan University alumni American women poets American women sculptors 21st-century American women artists 21st-century American poets 21st-century American women writers {{US-sculptor-stub