Paradise Garden Foundation to oversee full restoration and economic future of heritage site
Jordon Poole has been hired as the new foundation's first executive director
Protecting and preserving an artist's garden built from found objects and recycled materials, such as toilet seats, bicycle frames, bathtubs and Coke bottles, are on the top of the list for the newly formed Paradise Garden Foundation.
The foundation was created to enhance the site created by American folk artist Howard Finster as a heritage tourism destination helping to create an economic driver for the local economy in Chattooga County.
Last week, the county purchased the four-acre property for $125,000, a transaction made possible by a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and local donations.
Putting the property in the public realm will help broaden fundraising goals and allow the location to qualify for more grants, officials said.
A National Register of Historic Places designation is also in the works, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation is providing heritage tourism assessment and planning.
The restoration campaign for the gardens will be headed by Jordon Poole, the new foundation's first executive director.
"We are trying to do an ultimate protection for the gardens," Poole said.
Poole, a native to Summerville, holds a master's degree in historic preservation and has previously worked for the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation and George Washington's Mount Vernon as manager of restoration.
Poole said he won't know the exact amount of funds needed for the total project until he receives the site management plan from the team of architects and landscape architects, which is expected soon.
Stabilizing existing structures is one of the largest priorities, then restoring crumbling mosaics in the gardens and fully restoring the grounds, art and buildings.
Although the plan is being crafted and advised by a team of expert professionals, much of the actual work to be done will be a labor of love for the many expected to get involved.
"We plan to have as much work completed by volunteer helpers as possible. It will take a lot of volunteer labor," Poole said.
Poole isn't the only one counting on the goodwill of Finster's fans and collectors, no matter what the actual cost will be.
"This is going to be very attainable because of people's willingness to be connected to Howard's legacy. There is a real possibility that with Howard's goodwill, we will be able to get everything done within budget," Tommy Littleton, former chairman of the Paradise Garden Park and Museum, said.
Volunteers have already helped stabilize the garden's most iconic structure, the World's Folk Art Church, which is sinking into the ground. A new roof was also added from money raised by auctioning off art from the garden, according to Associated Press reports.
According to Littleton, the church has several serious moisture and structural issues. Interior walls were built about four years ago to help hold the building up, he said.
"Howard bought the building from a community church and then built on top of it out of his own recycled materials," Littleton said. The entire structure was not built with the best or most expensive materials, according to Poole.
When the restoration is complete, the plan is to have the church turned into an “art space” for the community. The development of a research library to accommodate students and scholars is also in the works. Research material documenting the history of Finster, his art works and Paradise Garden have already been developed by interns who have studied there, Littleton said.
Chattooga County's sole county commissioner, Jason Waters, credits the local community's donations with making the purchase possible, commenting that no county government funds were used to buy the cultural site.
"This purchase ensures an ultimate protection for our community's treasured art environment. Our goal is to save this local, national and internationally renowned art site while creating a sustainable heritage tourism destination to promote our local economy," Winters said in a press release.
Paradise Garden is considered by many to be Finster's greatest work. Images of the site can be seen on album cover art and is included in music videos from groups like REM, Black Hawk and Talking Heads.
