Ridgefield woman crafting Central Park statues of iconic women

A mission to place the first sculptures of female role models in Central Park began seven years ago. Now, a group called Monumental Women has helped raise $1.5 million to make that mission a reality.

Meredith Bergmann's work is taking her back to the 19th century, handcrafting the first three women to make their way into the Manhattan park.

"There are 29 statues of great men, and Alice In Wonderland, and Mother Goose. No real women," says Bergmann.

With over 400 pounds of clay, three iconic women -- Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Candy Stanton will tower among the trees at about 14 feet tall.

Bergmann began the time-consuming task in August 2018.

The unveiling is set for the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote, on Aug. 26, 2020.

"I hope people will identify with them, I hope people will be curious about them and find out what they did for women's rights," says Bergmann.