Christ of the Ozarks

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Christ of the Ozarks statue is a monumental sculpture of Jesus located near Eureka Springs, Arkansas, atop Magnetic Mountain. It was erected in 1966 by Gerald L. K. Smith, a Depression-era religious and political figure who briefly led the Share Our Wealth movement initiated by Huey Long. The statue is a popular tourist attraction, but remains controversial with local residents^{[citation needed]} due to Smith's association with white supremacist and antisemitic organizations throughout his career.^{[citation needed]}

The statue, which is more than 67 feet (20 meters) tall, was primarily the work of Emmet Sullivan, who also worked on nearby Dinosaur World. The work is modernistic and minimalistic; there is little true facial detail or expression, and the lines and forms are generally simplified. The arms are outstretched straight, suggesting the Crucifixion; however the cross is not overtly depicted. The statue was proposed and built as the centerpiece of a proposed religious theme park which was never fully realized, but an outdoor performance of "The Great Passion Play", styled after that of Oberammergau, Germany, is staged four or five nights a week from the end of April through the end of October in a nearby 4,100-seat amphitheater.

The statue has been parodied many times over the years in local and national publications due to its striking appearance and artistic flaws.^{[citation needed]} Its disproportionate depiction of the figure has inspired a variety of unflattering nicknames, such as "Gumby Jesus" and "Our Milk Carton With Arms".^{[citation needed]} The Christ of the Ozarks is also featured briefly in the 2005 movie Elizabethtown and in the 1988 movie Pass the Ammo.