After years of legal dispute, the well-known attraction in Palm Springs currently situated on the periphery of Downtown Park in California, with Marilyn Monroe‘s back facing the Art Museum is preparing to relocate after locals complained that kids could see her undergarment.
The statue titled “Forever Marilyn” by Seward Johnson, which stands at an impressive 26 feet tall and depicts Monroe’s iconic skirt scene from the 1955 film “The Seven Year Itch,” has been a source of disagreement among Palm Springs residents and tourists since its comeback in 2021, as reported by the LA Times.
According to a statement from Palm Springs Mayor Jeffrey Bernstein, the statue will be relocated to a “location to be determined in the Downtown Park.”
Bernstein said: “The City Council is very pleased to have found a satisfactory solution to this issue, which has divided so many within our community.”
The statue’s new home will be within the same 1.5-acre park, ensuring it remains within its boundaries.
Trina Turk, a fashion designer, was among those in the campaign who led the effort to move the statue. A recent post on a GoFundMe page, which has raised over $115,000 to lobby the city to move the statue, expressed cautious optimism about the decision in a recent post.
The post read: “There are still many details to be resolved, and a legally binding agreement to be worked out. We will not consider this a done deal until the statue is moved to its new location.”
The Executive Director of the Palm Springs Art Museum, Louis Grachos raised objections to the Council in 2021 during a debate over the statue’s placement and expressed concerns about museum patrons, particularly school children being exposed to Marilyn’s posterior and underwear.
“You come out of the museum and the first thing you’re going to see is a 26-foot-tall Marilyn Monroe with her entire backside and underwear exposed,” he said, the New York Post reported.
The City Council granted approval for the statue to be situated in a central location in downtown Palm Springs, close to the art museum, for a period of three years beginning in 2021. This decision was made despite opposition from the community and detractors, including Knight, who called the statue sexist.
According to the LA Times, Knight described the return of the statue as: “An anti-queer slur was lifted high onto a civic pedestal in one of America’s least likely places.”
However, the relocation of the statue from its present site by the city authorities left certain Palm Springs residents dissatisfied.
Some locals and tourists reacted to the city’s Facebook announcement about the relocation and opposed the decision.
One user wrote that tourists: “love taking photos there.”
Another user said: “It’s a shame you caved to the pressure to relocate her.”
The statue titled “Forever Marilyn” by Seward Johnson, which stands at an impressive 26 feet tall and depicts Monroe’s iconic skirt scene from the 1955 film “The Seven Year Itch,” has been a source of disagreement among Palm Springs residents and tourists since its comeback in 2021, as reported by the LA Times.
According to a statement from Palm Springs Mayor Jeffrey Bernstein, the statue will be relocated to a “location to be determined in the Downtown Park.”
Bernstein said: “The City Council is very pleased to have found a satisfactory solution to this issue, which has divided so many within our community.”
The statue’s new home will be within the same 1.5-acre park, ensuring it remains within its boundaries.
Trina Turk, a fashion designer, was among those in the campaign who led the effort to move the statue. A recent post on a GoFundMe page, which has raised over $115,000 to lobby the city to move the statue, expressed cautious optimism about the decision in a recent post.
The post read: “There are still many details to be resolved, and a legally binding agreement to be worked out. We will not consider this a done deal until the statue is moved to its new location.”
The Executive Director of the Palm Springs Art Museum, Louis Grachos raised objections to the Council in 2021 during a debate over the statue’s placement and expressed concerns about museum patrons, particularly school children being exposed to Marilyn’s posterior and underwear.
“You come out of the museum and the first thing you’re going to see is a 26-foot-tall Marilyn Monroe with her entire backside and underwear exposed,” he said, the New York Post reported.
The City Council granted approval for the statue to be situated in a central location in downtown Palm Springs, close to the art museum, for a period of three years beginning in 2021. This decision was made despite opposition from the community and detractors, including Knight, who called the statue sexist.
According to the LA Times, Knight described the return of the statue as: “An anti-queer slur was lifted high onto a civic pedestal in one of America’s least likely places.”
However, the relocation of the statue from its present site by the city authorities left certain Palm Springs residents dissatisfied.
Some locals and tourists reacted to the city’s Facebook announcement about the relocation and opposed the decision.
One user wrote that tourists: “love taking photos there.”
Another user said: “It’s a shame you caved to the pressure to relocate her.”
Source : Times of India
