The folk art church at Paradise Garden. Photo: Courtesy of Paradise Garden Foundation
One of Georgia folk artist legend Howard Finster's most ambitious works is welcoming visitors for the first time in more than 25 years.
Why it matters: The newly restored Worlds Folk Art Church in Paradise Garden, the north Georgia property the artist turned into an eclectic and magical home, is one of the main attractions for the upcoming Finster Fest.
Zoom in: Finster designed the five-story structure around an old country church on an adjoining property that the artist purchased with National Endowment for the Arts funding.
Completed in 1987, the building served as an art studio and artifact museum and storage for his materials.
What they're saying: "When I got that church, I didn't wanna just leave it like it was," Finster said in Tom Patterson's 1989 book about the artist.
"I had a vision to build that big steeple on top of it and a big solar heat room on the back with windows all over it. I wanted it to look like these great mansions that I seen in my visions."
What's next: The two-day festival outside Summerville runs on Sept. 20-21. The event features more than 70 established and emerging folk artists from around the country.
Also planned: Talks on the church's restoration and Finster's use of printmaking, food and a children's area.
