Crazy Horse Memorial

We visited the Crazy Horse Memorial on Wednesday morning. We thought we were going to pop in and pop out, but we ended up staying for a couple of hours. I hadn't been there since 1978, and it was interesting to see the progress. There were photos on the wall showing progress over the years. The project started in 1948. The photo that was closest to the year I was there was for 1982. Here's what it looked like then. An incredible amount of rock had to be blasted away before any actual features could be sculpted.

Here's what it looks like today.

The face was completed in 1998, the 50th anniversary of the project. 

Now they're working on the outstretched arm. The painted white outline is a sketch of the horse's head to give an idea of it's position.

One of the challenges of this sculpture, and a big difference between it and the Mt. Rushmore sculpture, is that this one is going to be 3-dimensional. Here's a view of the back side. They haven't started to carve this yet. 

The progress is slow for many reasons. There is no room for error when blasting away rock, so the work is done very carefully. Funding for the project comes solely from paid admissions (which now are $11) and private donations. 

For another $4, you can take a short (5 minute) bus ride to the base of the sculpture to get a close up view. This is the only money that the family collects from visitors. All other admission money collected goes to the Foundation for the completion of the project. The sculptor, Korczak Ziolkowski, and his wife Ruth, dedicated their lives to this sculpture. When Korczak passed away, Ruth took over the management of the project. They had ten children, seven of whom are still working at the site today and are committed to the completion of their father's work.

A scale model of the completed sculpture is on display on the veranda of the visitor's center which overlooks the mountain. Here is what the sculpture will ultimately look like.

 

Here are the dimensions of the Crazy Horse sculpture along with comparisons to other sculptures and structures. It will be the largest sculpture in the world.

The face on the mountain is a very good likeness of the sculptor's model.

In addition to viewing the sculpture on the mountain, you can view a short film giving some background into the artist and the project, the artist's home and studio, and several rooms of exhibits of Native American history and culture.