Charlie Kirk statue costing $100,000 fails to attract buyers

New York sculptor Sergio Furnari has invested $100,000 of his personal funds into creating a life-size statue of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk, a project that has yet to find a buyer. Furnari, an Italian immigrant, envisioned the statue as a tribute to free speech and democracy, and a commemoration of a person, drawing parallels to Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. However, the project has been met with unexpected challenges, including threats of vandalism and a lack of financial support.

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Is it cursed? I don't know.

Despite his artistic intentions, Furnari admits he was not an admirer of Kirk, citing disagreements on issues like Kirk's stance on Palestine. He had hoped that wealthy patrons would financially back the project, but instead, he has received messages threatening to desecrate the statue. Furnari even suffered a broken leg while working on the statue, leading him to question if the project was "cursed."

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I wasn't a fan of Charlie's.

Furnari launched an online fundraising campaign with an initial goal of $150,000, ultimately hoping to raise millions to tour the statue. As of Thursday, the campaign had only garnered $1,400. He expressed frustration over the lack of support, stating, "I thought it would resonate with the world, with anyone, but, man, people are weird. Like nobody really comes to offer support, especially financial support. I've spent all my money on this so far." He remains optimistic, however, calling the statue "blessed" despite the financial and personal setbacks.

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Why am I doing the statue? For the same reason Michelangelo did the Pietà or David, or Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa. Why? Just to commemorate a moment, you know, a person.