Our Lady

     Our Lady of the Rockies - The fourth largest statue in the United States, sits atop the Continental Divide overlooking Butte, Montana.  She is created in the likeness of Mary, mother of Jesus, dedicated to mothers everywhere, and inspired and designed by Bob O'Bill as a tribute to his thankfulness and gratitude when his wife survived her battle with cancer.  The statue stands 90ft tall at an elevation of 8,500 ft above sea level.  She is lit in the evening year-round and so is able to be seen day and night.  Mainly a huge community funded project, construction began in 1979 and the finished statue was unveiled in 1985.      


Of course, controversy has surrounded her since conception - cost and a forced religious aspect on an entire community were/are part of the controversy.  Yet she still stands.  Her stark white contrast to the natural surrounding colors makes her stand out in the "Big Sky Country" of Montana.  The location of the statue also presents an imposing presence.  She is nearly impossible to miss from any location in Butte as she overlooks the whole town with arms spread wide.  She is a testament to community effort, love and gratitude and engineering as she battles the daily elements of the Rocky Mountains.

On a personal note:  I find Our Lady to be an intriguing and comforting presence.  She brings pride and kinship to a community.  The story of her build is told over and over to people passing through or kids sitting around the table.  As a community investment and effort, she united thousands.  I appreciate and admire the dedication, vision, pride and beauty she brings to the town and homes of Butte and pause it gives to the visitors passing through.     

Bibliography:
Hanlon, Rebecca. "Our Lady of the Rockies, Montana - A Complete Guide". Our Lady of the Rockies, Montana - A Complete Guide - Discovering Montana

Comments

  1. Brayden Bartos-JewkesJune 6, 2024 at 5:16 PM


    Hi Lily,
    I found the backstory of this piece very heart warming, at first glance I thought it was an angle that was looking over a small town. I feel like if I were to live there I would look at the statue everytime I went outside. I do see your point of conflict with the statue being related to religion that everyone may not believe in. If I was to visit this city and didn't know that statue was there I'm sure it would scare the crap out of me , especially at night. From a google search I was able to find some up close pictures and its way more detailed then I imagined. Bob O Bill used many shapes and different lines to make this statue so realistic.

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  2. Damien NewlinJune 11, 2024 at 9:52 PM

    I saw this a few years back when I was driving through Montana! No clue what it was called but now I know! The background of the statue makes this all the more heartfelt. Though I can see why it has controversy, the deeper message is more profound in my opinion. Thanks for sharing!

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