A six-foot-five-inch bronze sculpture honoring the late Charlie Kirk is scheduled to be unveiled in New York City's Times Square on Thursday, September 10, 2026. The unveiling marks the one-year anniversary of the assassination of the Turning Point USA founder, who was killed at a university event on September 10, 2025.
The statue, created by Italian-born artist Sergio Furnari, stands as a $100,000 tribute funded entirely by the artist's own savings. Furnari stated his inspiration was partly fueled by the public treatment of Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, and his parents following his death.
"If you’re a parent, no matter if you were Democrat or Republican, you should have a little bit of empathy," Furnari told Fox News Digital. "I feel like they killed him once, and they kill him each time, over and over again."
The sculpture depicts Kirk seated, holding his signature microphone, and wearing a T-shirt with the word "FREEDOM." Furnari, who previously gained attention for a large sculpture of Cristiano Ronaldo, began work on the Kirk memorial in early December.
Furnari has launched an online fundraiser to help recoup the project's cost, offering donors the opportunity to have their names engraved on the monument's platform. He emphasized that his support for Kirk is not about political agreement but rather a belief in freedom of expression and creation.
"It’s not like I agree with him. There’s a lot of stuff I didn’t agree with," Furnari said. "But still, freedom of expression and, in my case, freedom of creation — there are no boundaries, no borders. That’s where we kind of stand together."
The artist stated that the unveiling is set for 2:33 p.m. to commemorate the exact time of Kirk's assassination. Furnari anticipates a public turnout from those who admired Kirk.
Furnari also revealed that he has received numerous hostile messages and threats in response to the statue, including suggestions of defacement and mockery related to Kirk's assassination. He indicated that such threats do not deter him.
"It’s a monument definitely to Charlie, but it’s even a monument to freedom of speech," Furnari said. "The idea is to spread dialogue. Pure, simple dialogue — just the way [Kirk] did."