Ritzy desert city's bitter fight over giant statue of Marilyn Monroe that's scandalized residents takes fresh turn

A monolithic Marilyn Monroe statue that has towered complete Palm Springs for years will beryllium moved pursuing a lengthy ineligible battle. 

Measuring successful astatine 26 feet, Forever Marilyn tin beryllium recovered correct connected nan cusp of nan California city's downtown.

It's been location since June 2021, but has spurred immoderate controversy.   

Residents person aired unease complete nan Marilyn monolith's much risqué qualities, arsenic it is modeled aft nan star's seminal segment successful 1955's 'The Seven Year Itch.'

It besides blocks the view of nan Palm Springs Art Museum - reasons that person successfully swayed nan city in a bid to person it removed. That said, it won't beryllium going acold - aft already being relocated 5 times.

'The City of Palm Springs is pleased to denote that, during today's closed session, nan City Council reached an statement successful rule pinch P.S. Resorts and CReMa to relocate nan Forever Marilyn sculpture,' The Palm Springs City Council said Thursday.

The caller tract has yet 'to beryllium determined', but nan statue's caller location will beryllium somewhere in nan Downtown Park, nan metropolis said.

Officials said they expect to person finalization of nan circumstantial location wrong nan adjacent parkland wrong nan adjacent month, during which they will move guardant pinch nan thoroughfare vacation.   

A nationalist proceeding held to activity our nan logistics of nan picnic was held that evening. 

'The City Council is very pleased to person recovered a satisfactory solution to this issue, which has divided truthful galore wrong our community,' nan connection concluded.

The saga surrounding nan statue goes arsenic acold backmost arsenic 14 years ago, erstwhile it was first installed connected nan Magnificent Mile conception of Chicago successful 2011.      

However, nan statue was quickly vandalized 3 times - pinch the executive head of nan Chicago Public Arts Group astatine nan clip seemingly blaming nan incidents connected nan state's sexually suggestive nature.

'In our society, we person small room for sexually expressive images', Jon Pounds was quoted arsenic saying by The Chicago Tribune aft nan statue was splashed pinch reddish paint.

'The societal statement doesn't work, because it is itself laden pinch governmental meaning.' 

It was moved wrong a twelvemonth to nan area of Palm Canyon Drive and Tahquitz Canyon Way successful Palm Springs, aft which it was relocated yet again pursuing a farewell sendoff astatine nan Palm Springs Village Fest successful March 2014.  

It's caller location for nan adjacent year-and-a-half would beryllium nan 42-acre Grounds for Sculpture successful Hamilton, New Jersey, arsenic portion of a 2014 retrospective honoring its creator, Seward Johnson, who was calved successful New Brunswick. Johnson died successful March 2020 astatine property 89.

That said, owed to its popularity, nan statue stayed, that is until September 2015 erstwhile it was group to beryllium moved yet again, pursuing nan extremity of nan retrospective.

It was past transported much than 10,000 miles distant to Rosalind Park successful nan Australian metropolis of Bendigo, wherever it headed nan Bendigo Art Gallery's Marilyn Monroe exhibit.

Then, successful 2018, nan statue was brought backmost to nan States astatine Latham Park successful Stamford, Connecticut, wherever it was portion of yet different accumulation honoring nan useful of Johnson.

There,  nan statue again sparked contention arsenic residents complained it appeared to flash her underwear astatine a adjacent church.

Meanwhile, officials successful Pasadena were campaigning to person Forever Marilyn returned, arsenic it had a large deed locally and was sorely missed.

Within a year, then-Palm Springs politician Robert Moon would denote nan statue's return, aft being stored successful a dismantled authorities successful The Garden State pursuing nan Johnson exhibit's conclusion

After different year-and-a-half, it was unveiled conscionable eastbound of nan Palm Springs Art Museum successful April of 2021 - a location announced conscionable 2 months before. 

Per nan announcement, Forever Marilyn was group to stay successful nan able California municipality for up to 3 years, after which nan statue's section economical effect would beryllium reviewed and its early decided.

However, litigation seeking to artifact nan erection of nan installation was filled successful nan California courts wrong 2 months, by a assemblage known arsenic nan Committee to Relocate Marilyn (or Crema), which included respective influential Palm Springs residents.

Among them was manner designer Trina Turk and collector Chris Menrad, who took rumor not only pinch nan placement of nan sculpture but nan prolonged closure of portion of Museum Way to let visitors to flock to it.  

Crema based on nan determination was beyond nan metropolis council's approval, and saw their dismissed wrong different 2 months.  

However, nan suit was reinstated connected entreaty past twelvemonth and had been making its measurement done nan Riverside County Superior Court.

Also progressive was nan edifice group that owns nan statue, PS Resorts, who worked alongside nan metropolis successful an effort to settee nan lawsuit.

All person since issued statements acknowledging nan colony negotiations are still taking place, arsenic a new, actual location remains up successful nan air.

But based connected nan city's statement, it appears nan prolonged ineligible conflict has yet travel to a adjacent - pending different passerby taking rumor pinch nan piece's sum and substance.

For now, nan 3 parties are group to meet later this week to talk nan circumstantial location wrong nan Downtown Park wherever 'Forever Marilyn' will beryllium relocated, arsenic good arsenic nan costs of attorneys fees and different costs, nan metropolis said Thursday.