We visited Salvation Mountain this past October, just a few months before its creator, Leonard Knight, passed away. Made of adobe, gallons upon gallons of paint and a commitment to his simple message that "God Is Love," Knight's colorful, religiously psychedelic Salvation Mountain garnered him a following as an outsider folk artist. There is something transcendent about his commitment to the mountain that draws a diverse crowd. Thousands of visitors have traveled to see his painstakingly hand-crafted monument, from art enthusiasts to hipsters to religious devotees. On the day we were there, a group of about 20 Mormons arrived and filed up the mountain together in a white-shirted line. Many visitors donated paint to keep the project going.
The future of the site has been uncertain since Knight moved into a care facility several years ago, but from the looks of Salvation Mountain Inc.'s website and Facebook page, it seems they're recruiting live-in caretakers and planning a film about Knight. Some of his ashes were recently returned to the site, and visitors and friends helped to refresh the paint on flowers during a celebration of his life. Visit soon for a chance to see it in its current state and explore Knight's vision.
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