Paradise Garden (Georgia) facts for kids

Paradise Garden in Summerville, Georgia, is a unique park that was once the home and workshop of a special artist named Howard Finster. He was a Baptist minister who became famous for his "folk art," which is art made by ordinary people, often using everyday materials. Today, Paradise Garden is open to the public, celebrating Finster's life and amazing creations.

Located at 200 North Lewis Street, the garden covers about two and a half acres. It's packed with buildings, sculptures, and thousands of interesting objects. Howard Finster's old studio, a yellow house, is now the visitor's center. From there, a path leads to the World Folk Art Chapel, a tall building with many layers and sides.

History of Paradise Garden

How the Garden Started

In 1961, Howard Finster bought four acres of land in Summerville, Georgia. A few years later, he stopped working as a minister to focus on this land. He always saw it as a project that was never truly finished. At first, he called it the Plant Farm Museum, but it later became known as Paradise Garden. Much of the land was wet and swampy, so Finster drained it himself. He then began to arrange his huge collections of "found objects"—items that people had thrown away, which he had gathered over many years.

He built many sculptures, like one made from old bicycle parts and another from car hubcaps. He even built a structure covered inside and out with pieces of mirrors. To continue his preaching in a new way, he put up signs with Bible verses or simple messages like "Yo Jesus."

Finster's Art Journey

In 1976, when he was 61 years old, Finster started a new part of his life. While fixing a bicycle in his workshop at Paradise Garden, he had a powerful feeling. A smudge of white paint on his fingertip looked like a human face to him. He felt a strong message telling him to "paint sacred art." From that moment until he passed away, he painted with incredible energy.

His artworks, mostly painted on rough wood, were filled with images and lots of writing. They often showed ideas from the Bible, American history, and popular culture. A famous art critic once described his work as "apocalyptic text-image paintings." This means they were paintings with deep messages, combining pictures and words, and he made them very quickly. His art explored topics like heaven and hell, Bible stories, and famous people.

Finster painted all sorts of things: Jesus, Elvis, angels with wings, George Washington, self-portraits, Marilyn Monroe, demons, Coca-Cola bottles, the Mona Lisa, Mickey Mouse, and many more. His style was always unique, simple, and bold.

Challenges and Restoration

Over the years, more and more people became interested in Howard Finster's art. By 1991, he and his wife, Pauline, moved out of Paradise Garden because so many visitors were coming. He kept creating art until he died in 2001. In the 25 years after he felt that special calling, he had made an amazing 46,000 sacred artworks.

After Finster's death, Paradise Garden began to fall apart due to the hot and humid weather in Georgia. His family tried to keep it up, but it was very difficult. The buildings started to rot, and their foundations crumbled. Many paintings, which were on untreated wood, decayed. Vines like kudzu grew over everything. Finster's home and art began to sink into the muddy ground.

Eventually, Chattooga County took ownership of the site. In 2012, a non-profit group called the Paradise Garden Foundation signed a 50-year agreement with the county to take care of Finster's property. They got it for just one dollar!

The foundation's director has said their work is like a "revival," bringing the spirit of the place back to life. They have made buildings stronger and dug out sunken paintings and objects to clean and display them. Other artworks remain where Finster originally placed them, showing how they change over time. Rotten wood has been replaced, and some buildings have new uses. A small stream has been cleaned out and now flows freely through the garden.

Exploring Paradise Garden Today

The World Folk Art Chapel

In 1982, with some funding, Finster bought a small church next to his property. It was a simple building, but he expanded it greatly, turning it into his vision of "heavenly mansions." On top of the original church, he built a four-layer, twelve-sided structure that looked like a "wedding cake," topped with a spire shaped like an upside-down funnel. One level is a round balcony that offers views of the entire garden. Inside the church, a large painting shows Finster's view of the universe, with swirling stars and erupting volcanoes. It has a message written across it: "Visions of Other Worlds I took the pieces you threw away—put them together by night & day—washed by rain and dried by sun—a million pieces all in one."

Mosaic Garden and Sculptures

Thousands of these "pieces" are used in a section called the Mosaic Garden. Walls and pathways are covered with colorful broken glass, seashells, bits of mirrors, and broken pottery. There are also unique concrete sculptures that shine in the sun, similar to the style of artist Gaudi. Finster's sculptures made from bicycle parts and hubcaps are still there. Old, rusting objects collected by Finster fill sheds. You can also find two chapels decorated with his art. Trees are randomly hung with used bottles, and colorful glass domes from old telephone poles are scattered around. A Cadillac car, fully decorated and covered in writing by Finster, is parked nearby. Close by, there's also a welded sculpture made by Finster's friend, the famous artist Keith Haring.

The L-Shaped Gallery

Different parts of Paradise Garden are connected by an L-shaped gallery, which is built on raised stilts. Its corrugated metal roof and wooden sides look like traditional farm buildings in the area. Large windows let in plenty of light and fresh air. Inside, benches line both sides of the long, narrow space. Finster's paintings and writings are hung on the white walls. The Paradise Garden Foundation sees this gallery as a project that is always changing. Newspaper clippings and visitor stories are posted there. Visitors have even added their own drawings or left small artworks as gifts.

Visiting Paradise Garden

Today, Paradise Garden is both a restored and expanded version of Howard Finster's original vision. Groups like Art Place America and the Educational Foundation of America have helped a lot with funding. The Paradise Garden Foundation manages the site with professional staff and many volunteers. It is open to the public for self-guided tours. You can even rent a guest cottage for an overnight stay. The Garden can also be rented for events with up to 250 people. Every year, a special event called Finster Fest brings visitors, performers, and artists from all over the world.

• paradisegardenfoundation.org