Photo by Misia Delgado

In the center of Times Square, a new sculpture by Thomas J. Price depicts a 12-foot-tall black woman in ordinary clothes, looking on. For “Grounded in the Stars,” the familiar nature of the woman is the point. From her clothes to her stance and expression, the woman appears like someone we may know, but unlike the average person, she is revered in this striking monument at the center of New York City. Price said of the work, “I hope Grounded in the Stars… will instigate meaningful connections and bind intimate emotional states that allow for deeper reflection around the human condition and greater cultural diversity.” Based on the people we saw excitedly imitating the statue’s pose, posing for pictures, we think it did just that. As for the chatter around the installation? We like to think this powerful 12-foot-tall woman is staring down the critics. Viewers can find the work on the corners of Broadway and 46th Street.