Local & Community
`Forever Marilyn’ Sculpture Nears Return To Downtown Palm Springs
An enormous sculpture depicting Marilyn Monroe’s iconic dress-flying pose from the 1955 romantic comedy “The Seven Year Itch” is expected to return to Palm Springs at the end of next month, tourism officials confirmed Wednesday.
PS Resorts, a nonprofit tourism organization, finalized a deal this week with Seward Johnson Atelier to purchase the 26-foot-tall sculpture dubbed “Forever Marilyn” for $1 million, plus installation costs, according to Aftab Dada, the organization’s chairman.
Dada said a final installation date is tentatively set for March 28, which could change given the availability of the installation crew. The Desert Sun was the first to report the impending return of “Forever Marilyn,” which will make its way from storage in New Jersey, where it resides in “hundreds of pieces,” to its new home in Palm Springs, Dada said.
It will be installed on city-owned land on Museum Way, west of Belardo Road and east of Museum Drive, just east of the Palm Springs Art Museum.
The Palm Springs City Council approved a location agreement with PS Resorts last December. The agreement includes a term of up to three years, and requires periodic updates back to the council.
Dada said he would like to see the statue remain at the Museum Way location permanently. After two years, the statue’s local economic impact will be measured by an outside firm, he said.
The 17-ton statue crafted of steel and aluminum was first unveiled in Chicago in 2011 before moving to the corner of Palm Canyon Drive and Tahquitz Canyon Way in Palm Springs in 2012, where it was on display for about two years.
The statue’s looming return has drawn the ire of some residents, both for its possible infringement of views of the surrounding natural landscape, and on allegations that the statue is sexist and inappropriate, the Desert Sun reported.
Dada countered that the statue is an economic powerhouse that brought the city millions of dollars of free publicity during its first rendezvous in Palm Springs. Dada said “Forever Marilyn” helped jumpstart the local economy during the Great Recession, and he hopes the statue can work that same magic again amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“She really put Palm Springs on the worldwide map,” he said. “She is definitely a huge draw and an unbelievable magnets to tourists.”
City Manager David Ready previously said the statue was a “tourism phenomenon” during its first appearance in the city.
“Forever Marilyn” was designed by artist Seward Johnson, who died last March.
The humongous sculpture recreates the moment in “The Seven Year Itch” where Monroe’s white dress surges up toward her waist as she stands on a windy Manhattan subway grate.
“Marilyn has come to represent beauty, and the white dress blowing up around her is a type of teasing sensuality,” Johnson once said. “There is something about her pose, the exuberance for life without inhibition, it expresses an uninhibited sense of our own vibrancy.”
By: NBC Palm Springs
February 3, 2021
Latest Instagram Posts
Who makes the NBC Top 3, winner will be announced Sunday night on NBC Palm Springs, with the player who makes the number one spot winning a $250 prize from @hondaofthedesert! Comment below if it will be 1) Sterling Conley with the rushing TD, 2) Marcus Kennedy with the touchdown catch, 3) Cade Pinon with the big time sack, 4) Kingston Pellum with the pick-6, or 5) Caleb Hartwell with the saving throw #fypage #fridaynightlights #football #hondaofthedesert #highschoolfootball
James Nellis from @dsrt_club_lq and @rd_rnnr_lq makes us one of his signature dishes, his Maine scallops with hibiscus puree. His creativity and skill lead to unique bold flavors and scrumptious dishes. We chat about his love of trying new things in the kitchen, what being a chef means to him, and how food can different, flavorful, and fun. This is James Nellis on a plate. See it now on nbcpalmsprings.com
At the annual 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at Morongo Casino Resort & Spa, first responders, families and community members came together to honor the lives lost—and the heroes who answered the call 25 years ago on September 11, 2001. Two first responders who responded to opposite sides of the World Trade Center met for the first time at the event, sharing a powerful moment of remembrance and connection. 26 flights. Three times. One enduring message: Never Forget. #NeverForget #September11 #911Memorial #MemorialStairClimb #FirstResponders HonorAndRemember 911
Palm Desert’s future takes center stage next week. The Palm Desert Area Chamber of Commerce presents the 2026 State of the City Address & Luncheon on Friday, September 18, at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort. The event brings together local business leaders, community members and city stakeholders for an inside look at the priorities, opportunities and future of Palm Desert. Friday, September 18 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort Palm Desert Individual tickets are $85 for Chamber members and $95 for non-members. Get the details and registration information from the Palm Desert Area Chamber of Commerce. #PalmDesert #StateOfTheCity #CoachellaValley #PalmDesertBusiness #GreaterPalmSprings #PalmDesertChamber
25 years later, the memories of 9/11 remain vivid for the firefighters who witnessed the tragedy firsthand. A longtime FDNY firefighter reflects on the trauma, loss and moments that have stayed with him a quarter-century after the attacks. #911 #September11 #NeverForget #FDNY #Firefighter #911Anniversary #25YearsLater #NewYorkCity #Remembering911 #NBCTPalmSprings
A troubling history is coming to light in a Palm Desert husband’s death. 65-year old Vicky Kim is accused in the death of her husband — but prosecutors say she had previously faced several domestic violence cases involving him. The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office says it had secured protective orders against Kim before a judge later resolved her cases as misdemeanors, released her from custody and terminated those orders. Now, Kim is expected to be arraigned in connection with her husband’s death. Court records allege the weapon used was a flagpole.
☕️🔥 How hot is TOO hot? A new study finds that drinking scalding-hot beverages may be linked to nearly 3 times the risk of esophageal cancer—the most common type of cancer affecting the esophagus. The takeaway? Let that coffee, tea or other hot drink cool down before taking a sip. ❤️ #HealthNews #EsophagealCancer #CancerRisk #HotBeverages #Coffee #Tea #CancerAwareness #HealthyHabits #HealthTips
☕️ Social Time with Thalia & Jerry. The squishy craze!
Coachella city council unanimously approved an anti-nepotism rule that ban an any Councilmember from appointing a family member or household member to the city’s commissions and committees. Tune in to our 11 p.m newscast as our @newsbyalondra breaks down the policy.
An anti-nepotism rule will be discussed and voted on at tonight’s Coachella City Council meeting - that would ban city council members from appointing their own family members or household members to commissions and committees. Tune in to our 8:30 p.m newscast and our socials and website as our @newsbyalondra brings us the latest details on that final vote.