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Stranger in Paradise: The Works of Reverend Howard Finster

An evangelistic preacher in paint and self-proclaimed “Man of Visions,” Reverend Howard Finster became one of the most widely known and prolific self-taught artists, producing over 46,000 pieces of art before his death in 2001.

A wide range of objects, paintings, and documentation provide an in-depth survey of Finster’s career, covering the variety of themes of his work, much of it relating to his visionary experiences, including: Visions of Other Worlds, Sermons in Paint, Historical and Cultural Heroes, and his renowned installation environment at The Plant Farm Museum [Paradise Garden].

Dates:
July 24 through September 26

Hours:
Monday – Thursday 8 a.m. to  7 p.m.
Friday 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Admission is FREE.

Location:
Chicago Cultural Center 78 E. Washington St, Exhibit Hall, Chicago, IL 60602

• Thursday, August 12, 12:15 p.m.: Gallery Talk with Michael Bonesteel, author and art historian
• Monday, August 30, 6 p.m.: Film Screening and Panel Discussion of the 30 minute version of the still in progress documentary, I Can Feel Another Planet in My Soul: Strange Visions. Wondrous Art. The Remarkable World of Howard Finster, screens, followed by a panel discussion with film producer Steven Pattie, collector Jim Arient, writer Monica Westin, and moderated by Lanny Silverman, Curator of Exhibitions for the Chicago Cultural Center.
• Thursday, September 2, 12:15 p.m.: Slide Lecture with Lisa Stone, Director of the Roger Brown Study Center 

This exhibition is curated by Glen C. Davies, organized by the Krannert Art Museum, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and sponsored in part by Fox Development Corporation; Thomas E. Scanlin; Office of the Chancellor, U of I; Office of the Provost and Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs, U of I; Illinois Arts Council; Krannert Art Museum Director’s Circle Fund; and Krannert Art Museum Council.

This exhibition is made possible in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.