David Leonardis on Howard Finster: American Visionary Folk Artist

The Paducah School of Art opens the exhibition “Howard Finster Vision House Touring Exhibit” at the Clemens Fine Arts Center Gallery at West Kentucky Community and Technical College this evening.  The show’s curator, David Leonardis owns a Chicago  gallery with contemporary, pop and folk art, photography and late 19th and early 20th century French lithographs.

Howard Finster passed away in 2001. Finster created an attraction called Paradise Gardens in Pennville Georgia to house his works and visions of sacred art.  The band R.E.M filmed their “Radio Free Europe” video in the gardens and Finster worked on two of the band’s album covers.  Show curator David Leonard is offers a gallery talk about the “outsider artist” tonight at 6 during an opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m.  The show is in the Clemens Fine Arts Center Gallery at WKCTC in Paducah through March 23.