The new women’s monument, about a decade in the making, will eventually feature a dozen life-sized bronze statues dotting a granite plaza a short distance from the Capitol in Richmond. “They were from all walks of life, from different times and places,” said Mary Margaret Whipple, a former state senator who served as vice chair of the Women’s Monument Commission. Susan Clarke Schaar, clerk of the Virginia Senate and a member of the monument commission, described a marathon effort bringing the project to fruition. Organizers consulted several focus groups during the process, she said, including one comprising young women at the University of Richmond. Organizers said more than $3.7 million has been raised for “Voices from the Garden: The Virginia Women’s Monument” so far, and about $100,000 is still needed.

Source: thestar October 14, 2019 20:15 UTC