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Printerfriendlyversion (http://folkart.org/print/mag/whatpriceparadise)

BYTHOMASSCANLIN

Asseenin:

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HeadlineNews!!!TheParadiseGardenProjecttorestore
andpreserveHowardFinster'sculmanatingachievement
wasrecentlyawardeda$445,000grantforParadise
Garden'srestorationfromArtPlaceAmerica
ThoseofyouwhoattendedtheFolkArtSocietyofAmerica'sconferenceinRichmond,Va.,
lastyearwereaskedbyme(morethanonce)tocontributetoamatchingfundinorderto
secureagranttoenableChattoogaCounty,Ga.,topurchaseParadiseGarden,Howard
Finster'sworldfamousfolkartenvironmentclosetoSummerville,Ga.Withthegenerous
contributionsoftheFolkArtSocietyanditsmembersalongwithotherdonors,andunderthe
guidanceofJasonWinters,solecommissionerofChattoogaCounty,Ga.,alongwithJames
ThompsonandLeamonR.ScottfromtheAppalachianRegionalCommission(ARC),
ChattoogaCountywasabletoreceivethismatchedgrantfromtheARCandpurchaseParadise
Garden.
Oneoftherequirementsofthisgrantwasthatasitestudyandmanagementplanbecompleted
forParadiseGarden.ChosenforthismonumentaltaskwasthewellqualifiedAtlantaarchitect
firmofLord,Aeck&Sargent,andJackPyburnwaschosentospearheadthiseffort.The
projectteamwascomprisedofLord,Aeck&Sargent(HistoricPreservationPlanningand
Architecture),TheJaegerCompany(HistoricLandscapeArchitecture&Planning),National
TrustforHistoricPreservation(HeritageTourismProgram),thelateTonyRajer,(afolkart
conservator),andTomPatterson(Finsterbiographer).Specialacknowledgementforassistance
tothepreparationofthisplanwasgiventoTommyLittleton(pastownerofParadiseGarden),
SusanCrawley(CuratorofFolkArt,HighMuseumofArt)andmyself(Finsterfriendand
collector).
Thesubmittedfinalplan,oneandahalfinchesthick,isanexcellentguideforrenovationand
sustainingtheirreplaceableenvironmentthatshowcasedthelifeandworkofHowardFinster,
oneofthemostsignificantAmericanartistsofthe20thcentury.Thenextstepwasfindingthe
moneytocarryoutthismassiveundertakingandthentoorganizeandcoordinatethework.
AtacriticalmomentwhenthepurchaseofParadiseGardenwasbeingcompleted,intothe
picturesteppedoneofthemostimportant"angels"toevervisitthegarden,JanetByington,a
forcetobereckonedwithifevertherewasone!Thephrase"notpossible"toherislike
wavingaredcapeinfrontofanangrybull.Pairingthatpassionwiththeskillofdiplomacy
andthedeterminationtogetthejobdoneisararetalentindeed.Shehasmanyofthesame
traitsthatFinsterpossessed.Sheisnotafraidofrecyclingmosteverything,workinghardand
payinggreatattentiontodetail.
OneofthefirstjobsafterthesitepurchasewastoformtheParadiseGardenFoundationBoard
ofDirectorsandtohireanexecutivedirector.ThecurrentboardmembersareSusan
Connelly,GenaBrileyAgnew,GreyWinstead,WhitneyNaveJones,JanetFarrarByington
(Chair),LarrySchlachter,JohnTurner,SylviaLeeKeziah,AttekaAbdouandFranMyers.
TheexecutivedirectorisJordanPoole,whohasamaster'sdegreeinhistoricpreservationand

(/catalog/fam81)

[#81]Vol.23,No.3,
Summer/Fall2012
(/catalog/fam81)$15.00

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animpressiveresumthatincludes
havingbeenmanagerofrestorationat
GeorgeWashington'sMountVernonin
Virginiaandmanageroffieldservices
fortheGeorgiaTrustforHistoric
PreservationinAtlanta.
Thisgroupcertainlyhasitsworkcut
outforthem.Itwillnotbeeasytodrag
ParadiseGardenbackoutoftheswamp
thathasbeendeterminedtoreclaimit
sincethatmomentousdayin1961when
Finsterdecidedthiswastheplaceto
buildhisgardenofparadisewhilehe
wasvisiting"earth'splanet."Tomake
thissitestableandsecureforthe
visitinggeneralpublicisaherculean
challenge.And,theworkwillcertainly
notbecheap!
Thefoundationrecentlyreceivedthe
firstgrantthattheypursued,andthat
grantamountwas$445,000!Yes,that
numberiscorrect!Thegrantwas
awardedtoChattoogaCountyforthe
ParadiseGardenProjectfromArtPlace
America.ArtPlaceisacollaborationof
11majorfoundations,sixofthe
nation'slargestbanksandeightfederal
agencies,includingtheNational
EndowmentfortheArts,whoseaimis
"toacceleratecreativeplacemaking
acrosstheU.S."
ThefoundationsincludeTheFord
Foundation,TheJamesIrvine
Foundation,TheAndrewW.Mellon
FoundationandTheRockefeller
Foundation,justtonameafew.Outof
2,200applicationsnationwide,ArtPlace
awarded47grants.ParadiseGardenwas
oneofonlyeightgrantsgiventorural
projects.Consideringthatthemaximum
awardamountwas$500,000,thiswasa
largeamountindeed.Itisalsoamusing
thatsomeofthesemoniescamefrom
theNationalEndowmentfortheArts,
asthiswastheonlygrantfundingthat
Finsterwasabletosecurewhilehewas
alive.Thatoriginalgrantwasgivenin
1982andtheamountwas$5,000.Part
ofthisNEAmoneywasspentto
purchaseFinster'sWorld'sFolkArt
Church.ImaginewhatFinsterwould
havedonewith$445,000!
Whileweallrecognizethat
unfortunatelythisgrantwillnotbe
sufficienttofullyrenovateParadise
Gardentoday,itcertainlywillgoalong
waytostabilizethesite.Aswaspointed
outinthestudy,wateristhebiggest
problematthemoment.Smalltractsof
adjoiningpropertyhavebeenpurchased
fromtwoFinsterfamilymembersto
createwaterretentionareasandto
providebusandautomobileparking,
persiteplanrecommendations.
Stabilizationofthebuildingsand
curatorialassessmentarealsomajor
challengesyettobefaced.Anadvisory
boardtoassisttheParadiseGarden
FoundationBoardiscurrentlybeing
formedtohelpwiththosechallengesandotherdecisionsinplanningforthefutureofthe
Garden.

TherepresentativesofChattoogaCountyhopethatthisrevitalizationofParadiseGardenwill
serveasthebeginningofculturaltourismasaneconomicstimulusforthisarea,recentlylisted
asthepoorestcountyinGeorgia.ParadiseGardenisstill,visuallyandhistorically,arich
placeindeed.StillalivewiththespiritandessenceofHowardFinster,itiswellworthvisiting
orrevisiting,forthatmatter.AvisitorcannothelpbutfeelFinster'spresencewhilewalking
alongtheinlaidwalkways,viewingthecomplexsculptural"mountains,"Finster'sfamous
bicycletowerortheWorld'sFolkArtChurch.
Theseandthousandsofotherfantasticartworksspeaktothecreativegeniusandlovingforce
thatwasHowardFinster.Heandhismessageswillliveonthroughhisartworksscatteredall
overtheworld,butParadiseGardeniswhereitallstarted.

Ifyouwouldliketogetinvolvedpleasevisitwww.paradisegardenfoundation.org

(http://www.paradisegardenfoundation.org)callJordanPoole@6786418700orwriteThe

ParadiseGardenFoundation,200N.LewisSt.,Summerville,GA30747.Totrackthe
progressofthissiteyoucanemailJordanPooleatjordanpoole@gmail.com
(mailto:jordanpoole@gmail.com).

THOMASSCANLINisajewelrydesignerandownerofStudioJewelersinDahlonega,
Ga.