Cristo de los Ozarks es una escultura monumental de Jesús que se encuentra cerca de Eureka Springs, en el estado de Arkansas, en Estados Unidos encima de la "montaña magnética". Christ of the Ozarks is a statue located in Eureka Springs (Carroll County) on top of Magnetic Mountain. The seven-story Christ of the Ozarks statue continues to be one of the most visited attractions in the Ozarks in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Visible from a distancia de veinte millas, la silueta del Cristo de los Ozarks parece una gran cruz blanca.
La estructura se erigió en 1966 como un "Proyecto Sagrado" por Gerald LK Smith y se eleva hasta los 65,5 pies de altura. Erected in 1966 as part of a planned religious theme park the giant Jesus was designed by Emmet Sullivan, one of the sculptors who worked on Mount Rushmore. The concept for the project began with Gerald L. K. Smith, who envisioned a life-sized theme park of ancient Jerusalem.
Impulsores, financiación y propósito
Smith considered The Christ of The Ozarks as “a gesture of thanks” to Eureka Springs, as he had searched the country looking for a town that would allow its construction. Smith brevemente lideró el movimiento "Share Our Wealth" iniciado por Huey P. Long durante la Gran Depresión. The Elna M. Smith Foundation was founded in 1965 as a non-profit organization named for, and headed by, the wife of Gerald L. K. Smith, who gained prominence as an anti-Semitic minister and political agitator in the 1930s.
In 1964, Smith raised a million dollars to build The Christ of Ozark statue, hiring the designer and sculptor, Emmet Sullivan, who had been part of the team that sculpted Mt. Rushmore. At a reported cost of $5,000, the foundation purchased 167 acres of land atop Magnetic Mountain, seven of which are within Eureka Springs city limits. Although the total cost of the project was never revealed, it exceeded three times the estimated cost, according to Gerald Smith.
Diseño, estilo y dimensiones
La estatua es modernista y minimalista, hay pocos detalles faciales o de expresión, y las líneas y formas se simplifican en general. Ultra-modern in design, a few minimalist contours are all that describe the savior's robes, and his unadorned visage is markedly expressionless, as is his posture, which is more suggestive of the crucifixion than demonstrative. The face itself is fifteen feet long. Taller than most humans, the hands from wrist to fingertip measure approximately 7 feet.
The arms, with a spread of sixty-five feet from fingertip to fingertip, suggest the crucifixion. The figure is seven-stories tall with an almost as impressive wingspan across the figure's outstretched arms, each of which is said to be able to support three cars hanging from each thanks to its solid concrete and steel design. The statue is one of five giant statues of Christ in the world and one of only two in North America.
Ingeniería y construcción
Every inch of the remarkable sculpture was built by hand. No poured segments were used in the statue's construction. The entire sculpture was built by hand, made of 24 layers of white mortar on a steel frame and weighs over two million pounds. At an altitude of 1500 feet, the statue is made of 24 layers of white mortar on a steel frame and weighs over two million pounds.
During construction, the framework of the statue was completely surrounded by scaffolding. Workers had to build an elevator up the side of the framework in order to reach the statue's higher segments. Standing on a foundation of 320 tons of concrete with reinforcing steel, the statue was built to withstand winds of 500 miles an hour and has a two-foot rectangle in the top of the head for pressure equalization in case of a passing tornado.
The foundation, which is virtually welded into the rock of the mountain, required 340 tons of concrete interlaced with steel. Standing atop of Magnetic Mountain at an altitude of 1,500 feet, the statue had to have its feet removed to lower the height.
Datos técnicos destacados
- The white mortar figure of Jesus Christ is seven stories tall and weighs almost two million pounds (about 540 tons).
- The arms, with a spread of sixty-five feet from fingertip to fingertip, suggest the crucifixion.
- The face itself is fifteen feet long.
- Taller than most humans, the hands from wrist to fingertip measure approximately 7 feet.
- The foundation, which is virtually welded into the rock of the mountain, required 340 tons of concrete interlaced with steel.
Contexto del sitio y usos culturales
Smith’s projects also included a 4,100-seat amphitheater on the same land as the statue. This is the site of seasonal, annual outdoor performances of The Great Passion Play. The brutalist messiah is accented by an amphitheater at its base that sees an annual passion play that brings visitors from across the country.
More than 500,000 people come to view the Christ of the Ozarks statue each year. Like many of the giant stylized Jesus figures across the globe, the Christ of the Ozarks has developed its own reputation, however for this statue, which was built by one of the sculptors of Mt. Christ of the Ozarks is a statue located in Eureka Springs (Carroll County) on top of Magnetic Mountain.
Construction of Christ of the Ozarks at Eureka Springs in 1966
Recepción pública y críticas
Although Smith likened it to the famous works of Michelangelo, many people have severely criticized the statue, saying that it looks like a “Gumby Christ” or a milk carton with a tennis ball on top. Some have described the eyes of the Christ of the Ozarks as passionless or simply "dead" but the massive Jesus can be seen for miles around, challenging even its detractors to deny its devotion to the heavens.
Visita, localización y curiosidades
The Christ of The Ozarks statue is located at 937 Passion Play Rd. In appreciation of a gift of any amount, you can light the Christ of the Ozarks for one night in honor of a loved one. More than 500,000 people come to view the Christ of the Ozarks statue each year.
Hitos históricos y fuentes
- “Smith Foundation’s Christ of Ozarks Is Finished, Dedication Is Saturday.” Arkansas Gazette, June 22, 1966, p.
- Lewis, Bill. “Smith’s Statue Is Dedicated As Mayor Opposes Bigotry.” Arkansas Gazette, June 26, 1966, p.
- Bowden, Bill. “Christ of the Ozarks Statue Turns 50.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, August 21, 2016, pp.
- Branam, Chris. “After 40 Years, Christ of Ozarks Statue Still Beckons.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, June 4, 2006, pp.
- Starr, Norma. “Eureka Springs: New Charms and Old.” Arkansas Democrat Sunday Magazine, July 28, 1968, pp.
- Grubiak, Margaret M. Monumental Jesus: Landscapes of Faith and Doubt in Modern America.
