The “Marilyn Monroe – Life as a Legend” art exhibit is coming to Chicago in July, and Chicagoist is squirming with excitement. Featuring about 300 pieces of work ranging from fashion photography to pop art, the exhibit serves to document Monroe’s life and rise to stardom, as well as her impact on the more than 80 featured artists whose work will be on display. Still, the very existence of the exhibit makes us ponder how Marilyn Monroe can continue to draw crowds, even almost fifty years after her death in 1962.

We have to agree that, even today, the face of Marilyn Monroe renders a strong association with iconic beauty and feminine sexuality, but fans have made a connection with her persona on many different levels. While Sunsilk is banking on Monroe’s Hollywood glam to market their products, others have found her private life to be just as captivating; some dwell on her legacy, or more specifically, use her as the basis for a study about gender identity.

All this muse-able material might explain why Marilyn Monroe has overall inspired so much dang artwork, and we are eager to see how some of these themes permeate throughout the pieces at the exhibit, and to feed our Marilyn Monroe fascination celeb crush.

The “Life as a Legend” exhibit has been traveling around internationally, but will be stopping in at the Chicago Cultural Center in mid-July, and will be running for free through September.

77 E. Randolph St, July 19 - October 21, Free

"MM after Powolny and Warhol" by J. J. Deval image supplied courtesy the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs