Crumbling Paradise

Howard Finster, the late prolific folk artist and minister, left behind a masterpiece when he died in 2001. Paradise Gardens, his biblical themepark and outsider-art environment, attracted many, from art lovers to pilgrims to big names like Keith Haring, the Talking Heads and REM. Now, the site is deteriorating due to neglect and familial squabbling. The Los Angeles Times tells the story.