Paradise Gardens

Paradise Gardens sit on a four acre plot of land in Summerville, GA that is now, quite simply, a work of art… a masterpiece in it’s own right. Included on the property are the Gardens, , Paradise Gardens Art Gallery, and of course, the World’s Folk Art Chapel.

Finster build the gardens to show "all the wonderful things o' God's Creation, kinda like the Garden of Eden". It features such attractions as the "Bible House," "the Mirror House," "the Hubcap Tower," "the Bicycle Tower," "the Machine Gun Nest," the Cadillac of Portraits, the Giant Shoe, and the largest structure in the garden, the five-story "Folk Art Chapel." He also started putting up signs with Bible verses on them because he "felt that they stuck in people's heads better that way."

He started the Gardens in 1961 before he received his vision telling him to create sacred art in 1976. Years of compiled art make up the maze of structures and sculptures. Everything in the Gardens has a meaning. Incorporating all kinds of recycled materials into his art, Howard used bottles, glass, mirrors, cement, bathtubs, toilets, “garbage” such as rusted bicycle frames and cast off jewelry… you name it, it’s there. Howard had an amazing way of combining text and strong visual forms, so that you have no doubt about his evangelical purpose. His calling as a preacher comes to life here at Paradise Gardens, and by using his art, he created sermon after sermon. Of visual art, he said, “Visual art is a great thing. It draws the attention of people. That’s what peoples’ work does. It preaches for them after they’re gone.” Yes…it certainly does.