Bye Marilyn! 'Forever Marilyn' Dismantled, Heading West

Tuesday, May 8, 2012 Bye Marilyn! 'Forever Marilyn' Dismantled, Heading West Crews began dismantling the 40,000-pound, 26-foot statue of Marilyn Monroe on Chicago's Magnificent Mile Monday evening, which turned out to be a visual experience in itself. Seward Johnson's sculpture, depicting Monroe in her famous "The Seven Year Itch" atop-a-subway-grate stance, was unveiled in the city's Pioneer Court last July. The statue -- titled "Forever Marilyn" -- was panned by critics and locals alike, and named among the nation's top 10 pieces of bad public art by VirtualTourist.com. The piece was vandalized multiple times, once with red paint splattered under Monroe's white dress that ran down her leg. Rahm Emanuel Fights For Widely Criticized Debt Collector Prosecution Rests In Hudson Family Murder Trial WATCH: Sen. Kirk Re-Learns How To Walk After Stroke Oak Park Pastor Survives Being Struck By Lightning Downstate Schools Could Be Crippled By Teacher Pension Change BLOG POSTS David Ropeik: The Heartland Billboard Embarrassment and the Dangers of Ideological Ignorance It is far less an appeal to reason, and far more a campaign to preach to the choir, to circle the ideological wagons of the members of the tribe, and rally the troops around Heartland's deeply conservative and libertarian ideals. Ben Guerra: Kin Sushi and El Circo Cheapo: I Don't Care If It's Your Effen Birthday For young foodies who like to hit the bottle without risking insufficient funds notifications from their banks, the BYOB dinner is the obvious choice for Stage One of any birthday celebration. Stage Two is El Circo Cheapo. Neil Wagner: City of Big Shoulders and Green Thumbs A former meat packing plant, once part of Chicago's legendary Union Stockyards, is trading in its stun line for a stunning new line of thinking. Elysabeth Alfano: Chef Art Smith's Common Threads Brings Us Back Together Last Thursday evening brought one of those rare events where you feel that you have been transported to another dimension in time. Modesto Tico Valle: Change, Five Years in the Making Five years ago in Chicago we took another great leap forward. Our community built that permanent, affirming, and safe space: Center on Halsted.

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