Several years ago I made my first trip to Pasaquan, the land where Past, Present and Future meet. It is a place of the utmost badassery, and it inspired me to follow my vision and create my own sanctuary in this chaotic world. In the years I have been there to re-unite with other Pasaqyoans, which has always been like going to a family reunion, we have all met and enjoyed good food, good music and good times among the peeling paint and crumbling structures finished by St. EOM's death more than 30 years ago. He started building his paradise in the late 50's! Can you even imagine?! In the middle of bumdecock nowhere, before the hippies..before anything so radial and creative...in the deep deep deeeeeeeeeep south... and I was so so blown away by the restoration of the property that the Kohler Foundation and Columbus State University have made possible. What really blew me away was the total transformation of Buena Vista , the town where Pasaquan is. In conjunction with the Georgia Economic Development and Tourism Departments the whole town has re-invented itself and uplifted the legacy of art and creativity, the prowess of it's great African-American natives, and they welcomed more than 2000 people in a public celebration of art and culture that I never would have imagined would take place in what has always seemed such a back washed out little town in the middle of nowhere. It has completely transformed into a welcoming, enriching community, a place of consciousness and charm.
