Stacey Morse , Executive Director of Chesterfield Arts, on the scene as Forever Marilyn makes its stop in Chesterfield, MO on its way to Hamilton, NJ.
Forever Marilyn by Seward Johnson stands 25' High, weighs over
30,000 pounds, she is made of stainless steel and aluminum and she's on the road.
On Saturday, April 5, 1-3 p.m. a big rig
pulled into the Chesterfield Arts parking lot just long enough for visitors,
art fans and maybe a few surprised shoppers at the nearby Chesterfield Mall to
see. Marilyn, began her journey from Palm Springs, California aboard an
open-bed truck on its way to the retrospective of the sculptor's work beginning
in Hamilton New Jersey. Chesterfield Arts and The Sculpture Foundation arranged
for it to stop in the Chesterfield neighborhood suburb of St. Louis. The driver
of that rig will make stops in Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia before it
lands in Hamilton, New Jersey.
“We are delighted to have this Steward Johnson
sculpture in our community. Chesterfield is proud to have Steward Johnson’s The Awakening installed just about a
mile from here.” Clearly Chesterfield supports the artist and the arts in
general. Chesterfield Arts was instrumental in bringing The Awakening to Chesterfield. That dramatic work is a 70-foot
five-part statue that depicts a giant trying to free himself from underground.
It is striking and worthy of a visit as it seems at home in Chesterfield.
Such as
stop, for Forever Marilyn as it makes
its way across country, allows the viewer a unique opportunity to see the piece
(in pieces) but enough to understand the scale of the work. The giant replica of Marilyn Monroe is based
on
the iconic image of Monroe Monroe, taken for the 1955 film The Seven Year
Itch. Kim Furtlow, the marketing director for Chesterfield Arts is busy
answering questions and encouraging visitors to contribute by sharing their
photos on twitter (#isawmarilyn). Local TV and print media are here too.
Seward
Johnson: The Retrospective opens to the public on May 4, 2014 and is on view
through September 21, 2014 at the Grounds For Sculpture. The exhibit will
feature more than 287 works.
Johnson,
age 83, is an American sculptor and philanthropist who has dedicated his career
to public art. It seems that in Chesterfield, Missouri he has some enthusiastic
support.
The Awakening in Chesterfield, MO
