Civilizations long have recognized their leaders with statues. America is no different, with representations of the Founding Fathers, civil rights leaders and more evident across the cityscapes.
Those with more impact are recognized with more statues.
As is the case now with conservative activist and Turning Point USA chief Charlie Kirk, assassinated a year ago while listening to questions from students at a Utah school.
Fox News reports a statue of Kirk was unveiled outside of the TPUSA officers in Phoenix Thursday in honor of the icon who was shot and killed at Utah Valley University.
A suspect, Tyler Robinson, was arrested just two days later, and the 23-year-old has pleaded not guilty to all charges, including aggravated murder.
Meanwhile, an Italian-born artist is unveiling a tribute to Kirk in the heart of New York City.
Sergio Furnari has created a $100,000 project for at Times Square.
He hadn’t been anxious to respond to requests for his work on a Kirk statue, “But I [saw] how Erika [Kirk] got treated, including the parents of Charlie, and that’s what I think became my catalyzer[sic].”
He continued, “If you’re a parent, no matter if you were Democrat or Republican, you should have a little bit of empathy.”
He funded the painted bronze work with his savings.
He became passionate about the project, “just because of the way everybody was making fun of him. I feel like they killed him once, and they kill him each time, over and over again.”
He’s working now to crowdfund some support.
He explains he actually doesn’t agreement with some of Kirk’s perspectives but in “freedom of expression and, in my case, freedom of creation — there are no boundaries, no borders. That’s where we kind of stand together.”
It is to be placed in Times Square.
“It’s a monument definitely to Charlie, but it’s even a monument to freedom of speech,” Furnari said, adding, “The idea is to spread dialogue. Pure, simple dialogue — just the way [Kirk] did.”
.@VP, one year after Charlie Kirk’s assassination: “This was a guy who just had so much life to live, who had so many people who loved him… All of us, I think, have this hole that we’re all trying to fill.” pic.twitter.com/YEDZDG4TOg
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 10, 2026
Vice President JD Vance personalized the loss of Kirk:
“Charlie was obviously a very dear friend. I’ve kept in close contact, and Usha has, with Erika, and the kids, and I always just first and foremost view this as a human tragedy. You think about the kids, you think about, as a young father myself, what memories will the kids have of Charlie, I think about, selfishly, the ways in which I wish he was around. … I think about, I really wish I could call Charlie and get his advice on this. … Slowly over time you realize… You pick up the phone and dial his number and then you hang up.. … You realize he’s just not there anymore.”
He continued, “I come back to it, this was a guy who just had so much life to live. Who had so many people who lived him. And so many people who relied upon him, who depended upon him. … all of us have this hole. We’re all trying to fill.”
A Fox station said TPUSA’s project is a statue of Kirk outside the group’s Phoenix offices.
NEW: A life-size Charlie Kirk statue will be unveiled Thursday afternoon in New York City’s Times Square.
The public will see it at 2:23 pm EST, the exact time Kirk was assassinated during a speaking engagement one year ago today.
Artist Sergio Furnari also says he’ll have to… pic.twitter.com/P20Co45otQ
— FRONTLINES TPUSA (@FrontlinesTPUSA) September 10, 2026
A bronze statue of Charlie Kirk was unveiled outside Turning Point USA headquarters marking one year since his death. pic.twitter.com/AiqON4a71e
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) September 10, 2026
