Howard Finster's Paradise Garden has been on my to-do list for a long, long time. Some of his pieces are at the High Museum, so I've been fortunate enough to see them in person. But his house? It's a bit out of the way, and never do I ever drive by or even through Summerville. I had to plan a very specific trip and what better time than my birthday!
Amber and I gassed up her car and took off for a three hour drive to Summerville. Soon the tall buildings of Atlanta faded away to the rolling hills of North Georgia. Drive drive drive...and finally Paradise!
Fun tip: Don't park in front of this sign. The official entrance is located on the other side of the property.
From ParadiseGardenFoundation.org: Reverend Howard Finster, a self proclaimed “Man of Visions”, Finster was one of America’s most widely known and prolific self-taught artists producing over 46,991 pieces of art before his death in 2001. He saw himself as a sacred artist, tirelessly recording his visionary prophesies and providing glimpses of a celestial outer space world that God revealed to him. These visionary journeys were very real for Finster, providing a limitless variety of images for his creative endeavors.
Another Fun Tip: Don't let the high fence fool you! This is a very welcoming place.
For a moment, we were scared that I had read something wrong on the website and that we drove three hours to a closed garden.
We were greeted by a gregarious volunteer and paid a small entrance fee. Two tickets to paradise! We spent the next few hours taking photos all around the property.
Most of Finster's work is covered in Bible verses.
Howard's memorial at the Garden.
A covered rolling chair ramp was constructed to offer handicapped people a view of the Garden. The walls are covered with artwork by Finster and his artist friends. I was excited to see some work by folks I knew.
The Mirror House stands in the far corner of the Garden. Mirrors line the walls, floor, and ceiling of the house giving me a great opportunity for an awesome selfie.
I mean, c'mon...isn't that a great Facebook profile picture!?!
These photos don't even cover half of what we saw! I took an entire roll of photos with my Holga so I'll upload those whenever I get them developed. Howard Finster's Paradise Garden is definitely worth the trip, especially if you're into folk and visonary art like I am!
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