An iconic artistic and cultural landmark in Yucca Valley could be lost forever unless local residents throw it a lifeline. Here with more is David Haldane…
From a distance they look like tiny white specks in the vast hillside overlooking Yucca Valley. From closer up you can make out some figures: a gargantuan Jesus with arms outstretched; him preaching to a gaggle of children and delivering the Sermon on the Mount to a crowd including Judas with his back turned.
A closer look reveals some flaws in these 48 sculptures on Sunnyslope Drive; missing limbs, cracked torsos and fractured faces. Welcome to Desert Christ Park, an icon in need of repair.
“It’s historical significance is very important.” That’s Roxanne Miller, president of the foundation that’s overseen the two-and-a-half-acre park since its creation by a local pastor and eccentric artist in 1951. “I fear they’ll just continue to crumble and we’ll be hauling off concrete.”
To prevent that, the foundation is trying to raise $100,000 to restore the wilting statues. Why should anyone care? “It’s a piece of the past that needs to be preserved.”
To contribute or learn more, visit the Desert Christ Park Foundation’s web site at desertchristpark.org. Or you can just mail a check made out to the foundation to P.O. Box 2102, Yucca Valley, Ca. 92286.
