Latest news with #statue
CTV News
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Sawatsky Sign-Off: 'Duckana' Stickers
Vancouver Watch "Do something that brings joy." Adam finds out how a man is being inspired to hatch happiness by a viral statue that's half duck half banana.
CBS News
6 hours ago
- General
- CBS News
Artist selected to create statue honoring pioneer Sadie T.M. Alexander to stand near Philadelphia City Hall
The design for the statue that will honor Sadie T.M. Alexander, the first Black woman to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania's law school, was unveiled Wednesday in Philadelphia. Alexander was also one of the first Black women to earn a doctorate in the United States. "For her to be the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in economics in the United States of America itself, that alone was enough as far as I was concerned," Mayor Cherelle Parker said. Alexander broke barriers in law, economics and academia and fought to protect the rights of Black Americans throughout her life. CBS News Philadelphia first introduced you to Alexander's trailblazing legacy during Black History Month last year. Her daughter, Dr. Rae Alexander-Minter, helped select the artist and sculptor who created the statue, which will sit in the shadow of City Hall. "If you know your history, you can be Sadie, you can be Raymond, you can be Mayor Parker. You can be that, but you've got to know your history," Alexander-Minter said during the ceremony. Sculptor Vinnie Bagwell created the winning design and will make the statue, which is titled "Philadelphia's First Lady of the Law, Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander." "Sadie Alexander's story is not just Black history or women's history, it's American history, and it belongs in the public square," Bagwell said. The permanent statue will be installed at Thomas Paine Plaza near the municipal services building to serve as a constant reminder of Alexander's inspiring legacy. "With this sculpture, I intend to honor not only her professional accomplishments but her spirit, the quiet strength, the strategic mind, the grace under pressure," Bagwell said. "I want young girls, especially Black girls, to stand before her likeness and see a mirror."
New York Times
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
What's on Cupid's Mind at Versailles? AI Can Tell You.
Early one midsummer afternoon in the Palace of Versailles' gardens, a pigeon landed effortlessly on a masterpiece of French outdoor sculpture: a 17th-century statue of Apollo on a chariot, pulled by four horses. The statue, made of gilded lead, has stood in a vast fountain at Versailles in the three-plus centuries since Louis XIV was king of France — and it has now entered the digital age via a new feature on the historic site's app: Powered by the tech giant OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, an audio tool lets visitors (on or off site) converse with 20 outdoor statues in three languages. On that summer afternoon, I put the chatbot to the test. I asked Apollo a few obvious questions — who had put him there, what he represented — and received textbook answers, delivered in perfect English by a confident male voice. Then, spotting the pigeon still perched on Apollo's head, I opted for a bolder line of questioning: What if a pigeon took a toilet break on this peerless treasure? 'When pigeons show their affection on my chariot, it's hardly a grand moment. But the caretakers of Versailles are vigilant,' Apollo replied. 'They ensure I remain in shining condition, restoring my brilliance after such interruptions. So no lasting harm from those little birds!' Versailles receives 8.4 million visitors a year, according to France's culture ministry, more than any other French heritage site except the Louvre Museum. Yet 80 percent of them are international tourists, and their average age is 40. So the palace is engaging with OpenAI and other big tech companies with the hope of not just informing visitors, but also luring audiences that are younger and more homegrown. (The New York Times filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against OpenAI for using published work without permission to train its artificial intelligence. OpenAI has denied those claims.) Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
The ‘absurd' statue that has divided opinion
The Spanish Academy of Bullfighting has proposed building a controversial 300-metre-high metal bull statue, named 'The Bull of Spain ', to symbolise the bullfighting tradition. The organisation intends to fund the construction, claiming the statue would attract tourism and create jobs in its chosen host city. Madrid has rejected the project, but the populist right-wing Vox party in Burgos has expressed interest, seeing it as a potential tourist attraction. If constructed in Burgos, the statue would stand almost three times taller than the 112-metre Gothic Burgos Cathedral, featuring observation decks, restaurants, and souvenir shops. Critics, including Burgos's former mayor, have labelled the proposal 'absurd', reflecting the ongoing debate surrounding bullfighting in Spain.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Statue representing Isle of Man's 'Viking legacy' approved
Proposals to build a statue of an 11th Century Manx Viking ruler have been approved by the planning illuminated sculpture of Godred Crovan, known as King Orry, is set to be 8ft (2.4m) in height, with a hand gesturing towards Tynwald Hill in St John's. Planners added a clause to complete further surveys ahead of its construction after previous concerns about the archaeological impact of the the decision, President of Tynwald Laurence Skelly said it was "about recognising, educating, and celebrating" the Isle of Man's Viking history and heritage. The proposals for the artwork were approved despite a recommendation from the planning officer to refuse the application, which was submitted by the Department of Infrastructure. Skelly said King Orry was "everywhere on this island" and ingrained in Manx culture."Godred Croven is listed in the Chronicles of Mann, our most important written document of the history of the Isle of Man," he added. The structure, which will be put in place facing east near the junction of Peel Road and Glen Mooar Road, will be has been designed by artists Darren Jackson and Stephanie Quayle-Jackson, who also created a heron sculpture in were told the location had been chosen to be easily visible but not to intrude on the hill, national cenotaph or the Royal Chapel of St John's. Historian Charles Guard said the statue next to the hill where the annual open-air sitting of Tynwald takes place would mean "you can see immediately this is our Viking heritage".He drew the parallel with Parliament Square next to the Houses of Parliament in London, where there are 12 statues."They are all celebrating the development of democracy in the adjacent island, our parliament is older and it's more distinguished," he said."We need a Viking there to tell us who started it all, and that's the man who was involved in it."It's a metaphor and he is pointing to Tynwald Hill, he's saying this is your legacy from the Vikings."Objectors have 21 days to appeal the planning decision. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
