Brief History

Eddie Owens Martin (1908 – 1986), also known as St. EOM, was a visionary artist from Buena Vista, Georgia. Leaving for New York at 14 years of age, Martin made a living hustling on the city’s streets, reading people’s fortunes, while embracing New York’s many art museums and cultural institutions. In 1935, Martin fell ill and experienced visions that compelled him to follow a new path. Subsequently, an inner voice told Martin he was to become a Pasaquoyan named St EOM. At his mother’s death in 1957, he returned to Buena Vista and took the home he inherited and built an elaborate world of vibrant colors, Patterns, and symbols. St EOM worked for 29 years to create the visionary art environment of Pasaquan. His home reflects his vision of the future.

Since St EOM’s death, Pasaquan has been through a number of transitions in an effort to preserve the site. This project captures the most recent transition between the Pasaquan Preservation Society and the Kohler Foundation. In 2014, the Kohler Foundation took ownership of Pasaquan and began an extensive conservation program.

Elements of this web project include: a timeline of Eddie Owens Martin (St. E.O.M.) and the Pasaquan site, a gallery of images capturing the Kohler Foundation’s conservation work; digital oral interviews and typed transcriptions with Pasaquan Preservation Society board members; interactive maps of the Pasaquan site including images of the conservation and a way finding map; and annotated bibliographies of video and printed materials related to Pasaquan and St EOM.  

Welcome to our Pasaquan project.