Located in Summerville, Georgia, the county seat of Chatooga County, there exists a place like no other called Paradise Gardens. The Gardens sit on a four acre plot of land that is now, quite simply, a work of art, a masterpiece in it’s own right. Included on the property are the Gardens, a museum, the Finster Folk Art Gallery. The current focus of restoration is the World’s Folk Art Chapel. Because of Paradise Gardens’ damp environment, and the fact that the Chapel was constructed out of cast-off and recycled materials, it is in extreme need of restoration. Funding is needed to save the Gardens Chapel from collapse. A grassroots effort is underway to raise the funds needed to get the Gardens restored and save the Chapel.
Howard Finster began these gardens in 1961. Howard was a local resident with a passion for life and for his beliefs. He spent most of his later life in these gardens, creating art and sharing his message with the people who came to see him. Howard believed that the best thing he could do for his community was to give back through his talent for art. Incorporating all kinds of recycled materials; bottles, glass, mirrors, cement, bathtubs, and other garbage, he made large installations of art all around the property. Howard had an amazing way of combining text and strong visual forms, to show the meaning in each individual piece. His calling as a preacher through art comes to life at Paradise Gardens.