21 Facts About Howard Finster

Howard Finster was an American artist and Baptist minister from Georgia.

Howard Finster claimed to be inspired by God to spread the gospel through the design of his swampy land into Paradise Garden, a folk art sculpture garden with over 46,000 pieces of art.

Howard Finster's creations include outsider art, naive art, and visionary art.

Howard Finster was born at Valley Head, Alabama, to Samuel and Lula Howard Finster, and lived on the family farm as one of 13 children.

Howard Finster attended school from age six into the sixth grade.

Howard Finster said he had his first vision at the age of three years, when he saw his recently deceased sister Abbie Rose walking down out of the sky wearing a white gown.

Howard Finster became "born again" at a Baptist revival at the age of 13 and began to preach at 16.

Howard Finster gave the occasional sermon at local churches and wrote articles for the town newspaper, and became a full-time pastor at Rock Bridge Baptist Church in 1940.

Howard Finster later served at the Mount Carmel Baptist Church in Fort Payne, Alabama, shortly before venturing into full-time art.

Howard Finster began building his first garden park museum in Trion, Georgia, in the late 1940s.

Howard Finster retired from preaching in 1965 and focused all of his time on improving the Plant Farm Museum.

Howard Finster's paintings are colorful and detailed; they use flat picture plane without perspective and are often covered with words, especially Bible verses.

Every painting has a number: God had asked him to do 5,000 paintings to spread the gospel and Howard Finster wanted to keep track.

Howard Finster finished the 5,000 a few days before Christmas in 1985, but continued painting and numbering until the day he died.

Howard Finster made his first exhibition appearance in 1976 and painted four paintings for the Library of Congress in 1977.

Howard Finster was selected to be part of the Venice Biennale in 1984.

Several of Howard Finster's pieces are on display at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC.

Howard Finster appears in the band's video for Radio Free Europe.

The band Talking Heads commissioned a Howard Finster painting for Little Creatures in 1985 that was selected as album cover of the year by Rolling Stone magazine.

Bill Mallonee of the Vigilantes of Love wrote a song inspired by Howard Finster's artwork called The Glory and the Dream in 1994.

Howard Finster was responsible for introducing millions to outsider art, but even with his fame, he remained focused on religious outreach.