Mount Rushmore: A Monumental Story Through an Artist’s Eyes

As a professional artist, I can’t help but see landmarks as more than stone or paint—they’re stories written into the world around us. Every brushstroke, every piece of clay, every canvas carries meaning. Sometimes, that meaning is carved into something so massive it takes your breath away. That’s exactly how I felt standing before Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills, South Dakota.

Mount Rushmore, photo by Danielle Jones

It was unexpectedly one of the coolest stops on our month-long trip out west. What I thought might be a quick visit turned into a full day of exploring, learning, and standing in awe of both the artistry and the history written into the mountain.

The Artist and His Muse

The sculptor behind Mount Rushmore was Gutzon Borglum, a man who believed American art should be bold, stirring, and impossible to ignore. But his vision wasn’t his alone. His wife, Lisa, influenced him deeply during their years in Paris, encouraging his fascination with the “emotional value of volume”—the belief that art should move people through scale and presence.

Her influence can be felt in the monument itself. This wasn’t just sculpture; it was art designed to shape how generations would see America.

From Vision to Monument

The idea for a grand mountain carving began with South Dakota historian Doane Robinson, who hoped it would draw visitors westward. When Borglum came on board, he shifted the vision from frontier heroes to presidents, choosing four figures who together tell America’s story:

• George Washington for foundation

• Thomas Jefferson for expansion

• Abraham Lincoln for unity

• Theodore Roosevelt for progress

Between 1927 and 1941, nearly 400 workers scaled the granite face daily, using dynamite and drills to carve the 60-foot likenesses. Originally, the plan was for full upper bodies, but funding cut the vision short. Borglum died before it was finished, and his son Lincoln Borglum carried the work through to its completion.

Awe and Complication

Mount Rushmore is breathtaking—but also complicated. The monument was carved into land once promised to the Sioux Nation by treaty, a promise later broken. For many Native people, the carving is a reminder of loss, not just artistry. Even the sculptor’s own history is tangled—Borglum’s ties to Confederate monuments and political groups add complexity to his legacy.

Standing there as an artist, I felt both the wonder of human creativity and the weight of history.

Great art often carries both.

Traveling as an Artist

Everywhere we go, I’m reminded that art is never just decoration—it’s a mirror of the culture and moment it’s created in. Sometimes it’s painted on canvas, sometimes formed in clay, and sometimes blasted and chiseled from a mountain.

For me, Mount Rushmore was more than a tourist stop. It was a reminder of how art tells the story of its time—ambition, conflict, vision, and all. That’s the kind of story that inspires me to keep creating, keep traveling, and keep looking for meaning in every landmark we find across the country.

See you out there!

Danielle Jones