Friend,
Right now, there are three statues in Duffy Square, the northern triangle of Times Square in New York City.
One depicts Father Francis Duffy, a priest and World War 1 war hero for whom Duffy Square is named.
The next one depicts playwright George M. Cohan, the founding “father of the modern Broadway musical."
However, the most recently installed statue, entitled Grounded in the Stars, is a 12-foot statue of an anonymous black woman (it’s not even a depiction of a real person) standing with her hands on her hips in frumpy jeans and a t-shirt.
This comes at a time when New York has already removed statues of critically influential historical figures like Thomas Jefferson and Teddy Roosevelt.
Don’t get me wrong… I’m a fan of art.
Ayn Rand herself even called art “the indispensable medium for the communication of a moral ideal.” But what moral ideal is this statue, Grounded in the Stars, meant to communicate? An elevation of the average, the ordinary, or (in the woke world) the “oppressed”?
Truly great art historically has elevated the extraordinary, the beautiful, spiritually inspiring in men a moral ambition to reach for a better version of themselves. In The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand captured how envy and nihilism drive artists and intellectuals to subvert art to destroy man’s moral ambition.
In the words of the novel’s villain, Marxist architecture critic Ellsworth Toohey: “Kill man’s sense of values. Kill his capacity to recognize greatness or to achieve it… Make man feel small. Make him feel guilty.”
If we want the next generation to aspire to greatness, then we need to inspire the next generation with art that communicates noble moral ideals, like reason, individualism, benevolence, productivity, and achievement!
The Atlas Society uses real art to make Ayn Rand’s masterpieces come to life in visually dramatic ways for the next generation.
If you agree with Ayn Rand’s belief in the boundless potential of the human spirit, please donate today to help us counter those who twist art to debase humanity.
Another reason we lean into art at The Atlas Society: Fifty years ago, 70% of young people read books every day for fun. Today, that number has fallen to only 12%!
So, how can we make the ideas in Ayn Rand’s books accessible to the next generation?
The Atlas Society blends art and technology to market Ayn Rand’s ideas to new audiences through various vehicles.
We pioneered cutting-edge technology to create proprietary AI models that transform live action with actors into anime for productions like our book trailer for Atlas Shrugged, featuring Dagny Taggart on a hunt to find the mysterious destroyer of the world.
That one video alone attracted 12 MILLION views and doubled book sales of the novel! This success inspired us to invest in similar animated trailers for The Fountainhead and ANTHEM, along with videos about the philosophy of Objectivism.
And, while reading may be on the decline, the popularity of graphic novels among young people is soaring.
That’s why The Atlas Society developed a plan to capitalize on this growing graphic novel market…
We recruited an award-winning Marvel Comics illustrator to create graphic novel versions of ANTHEM, Red Pawn, and TOP SECRET by blending philosophically rich content with dynamic visuals and compelling narratives to present these ideas in a format that speaks directly to young readers.
With your support, we can continue to innovate new, artistic ways to reach even more young people with Ayn Rand’s ideas and inspire them to embrace a life of achievement.
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Every generation needs art that speaks to them.
But whether that art inspires them to rise up and meet the challenges of our time with reason, courage, and ambition or causes them to shrink from greatness, seduced by the false promises of collectivism, victimhood, and moral relativism, depends on what they are shown.
The Grounded in the Stars statue certainly embodies a worldview…
A worldview of mediocrity devoid of meaning. Nothing about that sculpture challenges viewers to aspire to a noble pursuit or overcome their circumstances.
At The Atlas Society, we believe young people are capable of greatness, and we take every opportunity to present them with art that challenges them to maximize their potential, challenge perceived limitations, and break free from the victim mentality.
That’s why we’re introducing the next generation to the ideas of Ayn Rand through powerful stories, stunning artwork, and unflinching moral clarity.
But we can’t do it without your help.
Will you make a tax-deductible donation today to help us inspire the next generation to live with purpose and pursue greatness?
With gratitude,
Jennifer Grossman (JAG)
CEO , The Atlas Society
The Atlas Society is a 501(c)(3) Not For Profit Organization. All donations are tax-deductible.