''Christ of the Ozarks'' statue is a

monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, his ...

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

located near Eureka Springs,

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...

, atop Magnetic Mountain. It was erected in 1966 as a "Sacred Project" by

Gerald L. K. Smith Gerald Lyman Kenneth Smith (February 27, 1898 – April 15, 1976) was an American clergyman, politician and organizer known for his populist and far-right demagoguery. A leader of the populist Share Our Wealth movement during the Great Depressio ...

. The statue stands high.

Background

During the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

served as an organizer for

Huey P. Long Huey Pierce Long Jr. (August 30, 1893September 10, 1935), nicknamed "the Kingfish", was an American politician who served as the 40th governor of Louisiana from 1928 to 1932 and as a United States senator from 1932 until his assassination ...

Share Our Wealth Share Our Wealth was a movement that began in February 1934, during the Great Depression, by Huey Long, a governor and later United States Senator from Louisiana. Long first proposed the plan in a national radio address, which is now referred t ...

movement and led it briefly following Long's assassination in 1935. After many years of highly controversial, religiously charged activism that was primarily characterized by

Holocaust denial Holocaust denial is an antisemitic conspiracy theory that falsely asserts that the Nazi genocide of Jews, known as the Holocaust, is a myth, fabrication, or exaggeration. Holocaust deniers make one or more of the following false statements: ...

, virulent racism,

anti-semitism Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...

, and pro-

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

sympathies, Smith retired to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, where he bought and renovated an old mansion. On other parts of the estate property, he planned a religious

theme park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...

, which he called "Sacred Projects". He commissioned the centerpiece, a gigantic statue of Jesus, completed in 1966. It is called ''Christ of the Ozarks''."Gerald Lyman Kenneth Smith (1898–1976)"
''The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture'', 2009, accessed 10 May 2011 He also completed a 4,100-seat amphitheater. This is the site of seasonal annual outdoor performances of '' The Great Passion Play'', styled after

the show Show or The Show may refer to: Competition, event, or artistic production * Agricultural show, associated with agriculture and animal husbandry * Animal show, a judged event in the hobby of animal fancy ** Cat show ** Dog show ** Horse show ** Sp ...

performed in Oberammergau,

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. It is performed four or five nights a week from the first week of May through the end of October.

Design

The statue was primarily the work of

Emmet Sullivan Emmet Sullivan, (May 27, 1887 – November 3, 1970) was an American sculptor. He was born in Powder River (Wyoming and Montana), Powder River, Montana, and claimed to have worked on Mount Rushmore. He created the five dinosaurs in Dinosaur Pa ...

, who also worked on nearby Dinosaur World. He had assisted in the work at Mount Rushmore. The statue is modernistic and

minimalistic Minimalism is a movement in visual arts, music, and other media that began in post–World War II Western art. Minimalism may also refer to: *Minimalism (computing), a philosophy of programming and configuring computers *Minimalism (philosophy), ...

; there is little facial detail or expression, and the lines and forms are generally simplified. The arms are outstretched straight, suggesting the

Crucifixion Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the victim is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross or beam and left to hang until eventual death from exhaustion and asphyxiation. It was used as a punishment by the Persians, Carthagin ...

; however the cross is not depicted. It has been nicknamed " Gumby Jesus" and "Our Milk Carton with Arms" by critics.

In popular culture

The ''Christ of the Ozarks'' is featured briefly in the 2005 movie '' Elizabethtown'' and in the 1988 movie ''

Pass the Ammo ''Pass the Ammo'' is a 1987 American comedy film starring Bill Paxton, Annie Potts, Linda Kozlowski and Tim Curry. The film is a spoof of televangelism released right after the real-life scandals related to Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart. The movi ...

''. It is also featured during the intro theme to ''

True Detective ''True Detective'' is an American anthology crime drama television series created and written by Nic Pizzolatto. The series, broadcast by the premium cable network HBO in the United States, premiered on January 12, 2014. Each season of the ...

'', Season 3, which was filmed in the Ozarks region of Arkansas. It is featured in a 2018 documentary '' The Gospel of Eureka.'' The art collective

Indecline Indecline, stylized as INDECLINE, is an American art collective. Members have said that the collective was formed in 2001 and is decentralized, with "dozens" of members in affiliated groups in several US states and a few foreign countries, and ...

hung a banner on it in July 2021 that said "God Bless Abortions"; the banner was removed.

References

{{Reflist

External links

"Christ of the Ozarks"
The Great Passion Play Website
"Reading Too Much Into ‘True Detective’: Details You May Have Missed From The Season Premiere"
UpRoxx Outdoor sculptures in Arkansas Statues in Arkansas Colossal statues of Jesus Buildings and structures in Eureka Springs, Arkansas Concrete sculptures in the United States Buildings and structures completed in 1966 Tourist attractions in Carroll County, Arkansas 1966 sculptures 1966 establishments in Arkansas

Background

Design

In popular culture

See also

References

External links