{"product_id":"forever-marilyn-palm-springs","title":"Forever Marilyn by Seward Johnson, Palm Springs","description":"\u003cp\u003eFramed by palms and the rocky mountains behind downtown Palm Springs, \u003cem\u003eForever Marilyn\u003c\/em\u003e turns a familiar Hollywood image into an encounter at street level. Seward Johnson’s monumental sculpture holds Marilyn Monroe in the white-dress pose associated with \u003cem\u003eThe Seven Year Itch\u003c\/em\u003e. The setting in Mark’s October 20, 2026 photographs is \u003cstrong\u003eDowntown Park\u003c\/strong\u003e, where the sculpture now stands following its 2025 relocation from Museum Way.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"the-artwork\"\u003eA movie image, made monumental\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePS Resorts identifies the sculpture’s source as a photograph by Bernard of Hollywood made on the set of \u003cem\u003eThe Seven Year Itch\u003c\/em\u003e. The dress, raised face and carefully modeled expression make the image immediately recognizable. At the 26-foot height reported by PS Resorts, it is large enough for the folds of fabric to become a landscape of their own.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Seward Johnson Atelier dates the monumental version to \u003cstrong\u003e2011\u003c\/strong\u003e and lists its materials as \u003cstrong\u003ecast aluminum with stainless steel\u003c\/strong\u003e. It also catalogs an earlier, smaller bronze version from 1996. Those are different versions of the work; the large outdoor sculpture photographed here is not a life-size bronze.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJohnson placed the work in his \u003cem\u003eIcons Revisited\u003c\/em\u003e series. PS Resorts describes that series as an exploration of images that persist beyond their original moment and take on a larger cultural life. Here, a fleeting movie image becomes something you can walk around, see against a changing sky and share a public space with.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"look-closer\"\u003eWhat to notice\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe suggestion of movement:\u003c\/strong\u003e the dress appears to lift in a gust, although the sculpture remains still. Trace the folds from the waist toward its broad, sweeping edge.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe finish:\u003c\/strong\u003e compare the pale dress and skin with the glossy red lips. The closer photograph makes those changes in surface easier to see.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe scale:\u003c\/strong\u003e look from the shoes and circular base upward, then step back to include the palms. The grove gives the figure a different sense of proportion.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe setting:\u003c\/strong\u003e in the wider photograph, the mountain ridge runs behind Monroe’s upper body. Palm trunks, shadows and open sky make this unmistakably a desert view of a Hollywood image.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"artist\"\u003eAbout Seward Johnson\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSeward Johnson built his practice around figurative sculpture, from everyday people to enlarged cultural images. He founded the Johnson Atelier Technical Institute of Sculpture in 1974 and Grounds For Sculpture in New Jersey in 1992. His interest in placing sculpture within a landscape is especially relevant here: seeing this work outdoors is part of the experience, not simply a substitute for seeing it in a gallery.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"palm-springs-story\"\u003eIts Palm Springs story\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAccording to PS Resorts, \u003cem\u003eForever Marilyn\u003c\/em\u003e first arrived in Palm Springs in May 2012 and stayed until March 2014. It returned on \u003cstrong\u003eJune 20, 2021\u003c\/strong\u003e, becoming a prominent presence on Museum Way near the Palm Springs Art Museum.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe placement also prompted a long-running dispute. In August 2024, the City announced a settlement with the Committee to Relocate Marilyn and a plan to move the sculpture into Downtown Park. The City’s subsequent relocation filing identifies the park location north of Museum Way and west of Belardo Road. By June 2025, a community celebration marked the sculpture’s new location. Mark’s photographs document it among the palms in October 2026.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"visit\"\u003eWhere to find it today\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHead to \u003cstrong\u003ePalm Springs Downtown Park, near Museum Way and Belardo Road\u003c\/strong\u003e. Look within the palm grove rather than expecting the sculpture in its former position in the roadway. The park is beside the Palm Springs Art Museum and a short walk from Palm Canyon Drive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is an outdoor public-art stop that fits naturally into a downtown walk. Allow time to move around the figure and see how the background changes. Use the park’s paths, leave room for other visitors and enjoy the sculpture without climbing on it. For photographs, choose your angle before stepping into someone else’s frame; the palms offer several ways to include the setting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe map link uses Downtown Park as the arrival area. Follow the park paths to the sculpture; it is not a parking-space or surveyed pedestal pin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"nearby\"\u003eMake it part of a downtown walk\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eContinue to \u003ca href=\"\/products\/resonance-jd-hansen-palm-springs\"\u003ejd hansen’s \u003cem\u003eResonance\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e near the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/kimpton-rowan-palm-springs\"\u003eKimpton Rowan\u003c\/a\u003e, or explore the restored \u003ca href=\"\/products\/plaza-theatre-palm-springs\"\u003ePlaza Theatre\u003c\/a\u003e. For the history beneath today’s downtown, read \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/days-to-remember\/nellie-coffman-desert-inn-palm-springs-history\"\u003eNellie Coffman and the Desert Inn\u003c\/a\u003e: Downtown Park occupies part of the former inn’s grounds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrowse the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/downtown-palm-springs\"\u003edowntown Palm Springs guide\u003c\/a\u003e for the surrounding area and \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/art\"\u003eArt \u0026amp; Artists\u003c\/a\u003e for more creative stories.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"photography\"\u003eThrough Mark’s lens\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBoth photographs were made by Mark Miller on October 20, 2026. The first shows the complete sculpture within the palm grove; the second concentrates on the expression, hair and billowing dress. Select either image in the gallery to view it full screen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\u003csummary\u003eSources \u0026amp; photography\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ps-resorts.com\/forever-marilyn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003ePS Resorts — sculpture, image source, surface treatment and Icons Revisited\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ps-resorts.com\/events-attractions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003ePS Resorts — 2012–2014 visit and 2021 return\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sewardjohnsonatelier.org\/sculpture\/forever-marilyn-25\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eSeward Johnson Atelier — monumental version, date and materials\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sewardjohnsonatelier.org\/about-seward-johnson\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eSeward Johnson Atelier — artist biography\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.palmspringsca.gov\/Home\/Components\/News\/News\/8077\/358\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eCity of Palm Springs — August 2024 relocation announcement\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/ceqanet.lci.ca.gov\/2025020201\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eCity relocation filing — Downtown Park location\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.rondeharte.com\/newsletter6-11-2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eJune 2025 councilmember report — celebration of the new location\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/visitpalmsprings.com\/blog\/post\/palm-springs-downtown-park\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eVisit Palm Springs — park setting and Desert Inn connection\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eResearch checked October 20, 2026. Photography © Mark Miller, October 20, 2026. Sculpture: \u003cem\u003eForever Marilyn\u003c\/em\u003e by Seward Johnson, © 1996, 2011 The Seward Johnson Atelier, Inc., based upon a photograph by Bernard of Hollywood. Visual observations and photography suggestions are DOI editorial interpretation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e","brand":"Desert Oasis Insider","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67869564174617,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0868\/6813\/2121\/files\/forever-marilyn-palm-springs-mark-miller-2026-10-20-wide.jpg?v=1792559663","url":"https:\/\/desertoasisinsider.shop\/products\/forever-marilyn-palm-springs","provider":"Desert Oasis Insider","version":"1.0","type":"link"}