The origin of Pasaquan, an inclusive folk-art 'psychedelic wonderland' outside Columbus, Ga.

pasaquan buena vista
Pasaquan is preserved by Columbus State University and Pasaquan Preservation Society. (Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

In Buena Vista, Georgia, just east of Columbus, sits a visionary art environment on a seven-acre compound known as Pasaquan. Eddie Owens Martin was a self-taught Southern artist who created Pasaquan in the late 1950s and continued his work there for 30 years. Columbus State University is directly involved in the conservation and documentation of Pasaquan. Michael McFalls is an art professor at Columbus State and director of Pasaquan. He joined “City Lights” host Lois Reitzes via Zoom to share history on Pasaquan’s eccentric creator and the future of the site’s preservation efforts. 

Interview highlights:

The colorful early life of Eddie Owens Martin: