2026 Excellence in Rehabilitation

Created by self-taught artist and Baptist minister Howard Finster, the World Folk Art Church at Paradise Garden is a landmark example of artist-built folk vernacular architecture and the most significant architectural work within the art environment. Beginning in the mid-1980s, Finster transformed a modest one-story 1960s building into a five-story immersive environment using found materials, hand-built additions, and painted surfaces. Preserving the World Folk Art Church presented exceptional challenges, requiring a careful balance between safety, environmental controls, visitor access, and the retention of original fabric. This multi-year rehabilitation stabilized the structure to allow its safe reopening while honoring Finster’s artistic intent. The project included extensive laser scanning documentation, emergency stabilization to address roofing failure, structural deterioration, and water infiltration. Concealed supports and sensitively replicated painted windows were introduced, while original artworks were conserved under professional guidance. The project now serves as a national model for preserving artist-built, vernacular environments.  

Excellence in Rehabilitation Awards recognize projects that make compatible use of a building through repair, alterations or additions while preserving features of the property that convey its historic value.