East Jesus is creating
An experimental, sustainable, habitable artwork in progress
Do Good Thing, Make Big Fun, Get More Laid, Rise and Infect.
38
$282
Milestone Goals
East Jesus expands their T-Shirt inventory
At East Jesus, we only produce one piece of merchandise: T-Shirts. Since Charlie's death, we've continued to have his original T-Shirt design printed, but we're often asked about women's styles and different colors. However, because of the costs of holding inventory and the risks inherent, we can't justify the setup costs. If we build the capital to order bulk shirts for printing, we can screen print our newer "Four Tenets" design on an expanded inventory.
Ubie goes solar!
Ubie the Uberman of Gigsville is one of the nighttime landmarks of Imperial County. Unfortunately, due to his distance from our current solar array, we can't plug him in to the main system. In fact, we can only run him once a week because we have to bring a generator out to him. Help get Ubie off fossil fuels!
About
The Chasterus Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization for public benefit that operates an experimental, sustainable, educational art installation called East Jesus. East Jesus lies less than a mile past the legendary bastion of southern California folk art, Leonard Knight’s Salvation Mountain. Charlie Russell, the founder of East Jesus, initially came to the area to work alongside Knight, and quickly became enamoured with the idea of “The Last Free Place.” In early 2007, Charlie left his tech job, packed all his belongings into a shipping container, and began to surround his two art cars with the sculptures that would become the foundation works of East Jesus. The labyrinthian central complex he constructed houses administrative, operations, and hospitality facilities, as well as a musical performance space with a studio grand piano, PA, and stage lighting system. Since his passing in 2011, a board of directors has guided the curation and expansion of East Jesus, honoring his vision of a sustainable, habitable, ever-changing art installation. That board of directors was formalized with the creation of the Chasterus Foundation, in order to protect and continue his vision.
Location
Niland, CA 92257, USA
Top PatronsSee all 38
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The name East Jesus is a colloquialism for the middle of nowhere beyond the edge of services; there is no religious connotation. Located a few hours east of Los Angeles near the Salton Sea, our off-grid facility operates with no municipal utility services. The Imperial Valley, which has no museum for the arts, has scarce few arts facilities of any kind; the majority of those handful are attached to educational institutions.
An art installation made from discarded material that has been reused, recycled, or repurposed, East Jesus encourages visitors to imagine a world without waste in which every action is an opportunity for self-expression. Assemblage and mixed-media art covers nearly every inch of the interior and exterior of the operations and hospitality facilities. Sculptures and installations are constantly in development throughout the campus. Photography, multi-media arts, performance art, writing, and music are an integral part of the larger fabric which the collective artists in residence are continually weaving.
East Jesus is a living, growing, and ever-changing artwork that embraces the varied voices of the thousands of contributing artists who have added to the installation in the past and will continue to do so in the future. The primary purpose of the curators and the artists in residence is to maintain and protect this unique collaborative canvas for the enjoyment, expression, and inspiration of artists of all mediums.
An art installation made from discarded material that has been reused, recycled, or repurposed, East Jesus encourages visitors to imagine a world without waste in which every action is an opportunity for self-expression. Assemblage and mixed-media art covers nearly every inch of the interior and exterior of the operations and hospitality facilities. Sculptures and installations are constantly in development throughout the campus. Photography, multi-media arts, performance art, writing, and music are an integral part of the larger fabric which the collective artists in residence are continually weaving.
East Jesus is a living, growing, and ever-changing artwork that embraces the varied voices of the thousands of contributing artists who have added to the installation in the past and will continue to do so in the future. The primary purpose of the curators and the artists in residence is to maintain and protect this unique collaborative canvas for the enjoyment, expression, and inspiration of artists of all mediums.