Folk Art Park

At this busy Atlanta intersection, cars and buses unknowingly pass by the otherworldly depiction of folk visitors from another dimension. Here, psychedelic totems blend with the city skyline in a bizarre tribute to one of Georgia’s most unique artistic visionaries.

Eddie Owens Martin, known as St. EOM, began his visionary quest in the 1950s with a fever-induced visitation from three beings from the future, purportedly from a place called Pasaquan. Described as a mecca for art, understanding, and togetherness, Pasaquan and its travelers inspired Eddie to create a folk art compound near his home in Georgia.

His psychedelic art work would eventually span six buildings and seven acres outside the small town of Buena Vista, Georgia. Blending styles from Native American, pre-Columbian, and African art, St. EOM’s Pasaquan became a truly unique artistic haven where the future and past collide in a celebration of the present moment. 

After St. EOM died in 1986 the Pasaquan Preservation Society was quickly formed to protect and restore this one-of-a-kind vision. Ten years later, when the Olympics came to nearby Atlanta, the Pasaquan Preservation Society helped create a public park showcasing St. EOM’s vision to the world for all those visiting Georgia from around the globe. 

Today, this public homage to the visions of St. EOM stand out of place and out of time against the bustling backdrop of Atlanta’s skyline. Few passersby know the mysterious origins of the unusual visions and extraordinary creativity celebrated in this park.