Reverend Howard Finster became one of the most widely known and prolific self-taught artists, producing over 46,000 pieces of art by his death in 2001. On November 17, 2016 the Albany Museum of Art will open the exhibition, Man of Visions: the Inspired Works of the Reverend Howard Finster in the Haley Gallery. This exhibition will be on display through February 24, 2017.

The majority of works in this exhibition are on loan from the private collection of John Denton of North Georgia along with pieces from the personal collection of AMA trustee Billy Mathis and his wife Wendy, and from the Georgia Museum of Art in Athens.

Howard Finster is considered the “Andy Warhol of the South” and the godfather of contemporary American folk and visionary art. He did not devote himself to making art until later in life, following a vision calling him to paint 5,000 sacred art pieces in order to spread the Gospel. He completed the 5,000th piece a few days before Christmas of 1985 and it will serve as one of the centerpieces in the AMA exhibition. Finster saw himself as a sacred artist, fulfilling visionary prophesies revealed to him by God through a heavenly, outer space world. Thus Finster believed he was to disperse warnings to people to save their souls from the horrors of hell.

To augment the exhibition, the museum will present a number of events centered around the works in this show, beginning with an opening reception on November 17 at 7 pm. During this family centric opening, the museum will announce the winners of the recent writing competition for high school and college students. Awards for A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words include cash prizes as well as a publication featuring the works of the top winners. The event includes refreshments and entertainment and is free and open to the public.

Because December 2, 2016 marks the centennial year of Finster’s birth, the AMA will host a special Coffee and Conversation at 10:30 am. A lecture is planned for early 2017 for a deeper look into his work so look out for that date.