Salvation Mountain facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Salvation Mountain |
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2008 photo
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| Artist | Leonard Knight |
| 33°15′15″N 115°28′21″W / 33.25417°N 115.47250°W | |
Salvation Mountain is a huge, colorful art project in the California Desert. It was built by a man named Leonard Knight (1931–2014). You can find it in Imperial County, near a unique community called Slab City.
This amazing artwork is made from simple materials. Leonard used adobe bricks, old tires, car parts, and thousands of gallons of paint. The mountain is covered with bright murals and Christian sayings like "GOD IS LOVE."
Experts have recognized Salvation Mountain as a special place. The Folk Art Society of America called it an important "folk art site" in 2000. In 2002, Senator Barbara Boxer from California even told the United States Congress that it was a "national treasure." She said it was "profoundly strange and beautifully accessible."
Leonard Knight passed away on February 10, 2014. Before he died, he visited Salvation Mountain one last time in May 2013. This visit was filmed by KPBS (TV).
After Leonard's death, people worried about the future of Salvation Mountain. The desert weather is very harsh, so the artwork needs constant care. Many visitors donate paint to help. A group of volunteers also works to keep the site in good shape. In 2011, a charity called Salvation Mountain, Inc. was created. This group helps protect and maintain the mountain. They even closed the site for a few months during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep everyone safe.
Building Salvation Mountain
Leonard Knight was born in Vermont in 1931. He served in the Korean War. In the 1970s, Leonard had an idea. He wanted to paint the message "GOD IS LOVE" on a hot air balloon. He built a balloon, but it wouldn't fly.
By 1984, Leonard found Slab City. This was a place where many people lived in a unique, off-grid community. He decided to build a "small monument" there using concrete and paint. This project quickly grew much bigger than he planned!
The Salvation Mountain you see today is actually the second one. Leonard started the first mountain in 1984. But he used building methods that weren't very strong, and it collapsed in 1989. Leonard wasn't sad. He believed it was God's way of telling him to build it better.
So, he started again, this time "with more smarts." He used stronger materials like adobe mixed with straw. The new "mountain" became several stories tall and about a hundred yards wide.
In 1998, Leonard wanted to make the mountain even bigger. He got ideas from the Navajo people who lived nearby. Their traditional homes, called pueblitos, inspired him. He then started building a Hogan. This is a dome-shaped building made of adobe and straw. It helps keep the inside cool in the desert heat. Leonard planned to live in it, but he always preferred to sleep in his truck. He lived in the back of his truck for 27 years!
Leonard was famous for giving free tours to everyone who visited Salvation Mountain. People described him as a "visionary American folk artist." His main message was "unconditional love to humankind." He built this amazing mountain with his own hands to share his message.
Leonard's Legacy
Leonard also started another part of the mountain. He called it "the museum." It looks like the half-inflated hot air balloon he tried to build earlier. The original balloon is now at the American Visionary Art Museum.
The museum part of Salvation Mountain is a semi-dome shape. It holds many small items that friends and visitors gave to Leonard. Each item has a special meaning. Often, visitors leave an item there as a symbol of their own beliefs. The museum is supported by adobe, straw, car parts, and even twisted trees.
In his last ten years, Leonard planned to repaint the mountain twice a year. This would make the paint layer very thick and strong. But he got hurt in 2011 and couldn't continue. That's when Salvation Mountain, Inc. was formed to keep up the work. They are still taking care of the mountain today.
Leonard Knight was even featured in a movie! He appeared in Sean Penn's film Into the Wild (film) in 2007.
After Leonard passed away in 2014, a National Geographic article shared more about him. It said he was a "visionary" who worked slowly and carefully. His only goal was to spread the message that "God is Love." He shared this message with everyone who came to the mountain.
Today, Salvation Mountain is still a 50-foot-tall piece of religious folk art. For the Slab City community, it's a central landmark. It shows the area's unique and creative spirit.
Paint Safety
In 1994, some people worried about the paint used on Salvation Mountain. Imperial County tested the soil and found high levels of lead. But Leonard Knight and his supporters believed the paint was safe. They collected signatures and asked for a second test.
An independent group did another test. This test showed no harmful toxins in the soil. This supported Leonard's claim that he used non-toxic paints.
Media Spotlight
Salvation Mountain has appeared in many places!
- In 2008, the band Third Day used an artistic picture of Salvation Mountain for their album cover, Revelation.
- Huell Howser visited the mountain twice for his show California's Gold. He showed how the mountain had changed over ten years.
- The music video for the song "Praying" by singer Kesha was partly filmed at Salvation Mountain.
