Cocktails & Conversation: Preserving Pasaquan

Join the Knoxville Museum of Art for an engaging evening exploring the creation, preservation, and enduring legacy of Pasaquan, the remarkable seven-acre visionary art environment created by self-taught artist Eddie Owens Martin, known as St. EOM.

On Friday, September 11, preservationists Charles Fowler and Mike McFalls will take us deep into the Pines of Marion County, Georgia, to explore the story of Pasaquan—from St. EOM’s creation of this extraordinary artist-built environment in the 1950s to the ongoing efforts to preserve his visionary legacy for future generations. Under the stewardship of Columbus State University, Pasaquan continues to thrive as a living work of art and a place for creative discovery.

The evening’s conversation offers a special opportunity to learn more about St. EOM and Pasaquan in connection with No-Man’s-Land, currently on view at the KMA through November 8, 2026.

Enjoy a relaxed evening of conversation, refreshments, and a cash bar before and after the lecture. The lecture begins at 6:00 p.m.

About the Speakers:

Mike McFalls is a practicing artist, professor of art, and director of Pasaquan and the Bo Bartlett Center at Columbus State University. A leading voice in the field of artist-built environments, he has overseen Pasaquan’s restoration, interpretation, and programming since 2014. He is vice president of the Art Built Environments Network and regularly lectures on St. EOM’s legacy and the cultural significance of Pasaquan at museums, universities, conferences, and arts organizations across the country and internationally.

Charles Fowler is Project Coordinator of Pasaquan. A graduate of Columbus State University with a BFA, Fowler assisted with the Kohler Foundation’s restoration of Pasaquan in 2014 and has remained deeply involved in the site’s care and stewardship ever since. He oversees preservation and day-to-day maintenance while helping develop public programming and educational initiatives that connect visitors, artists, and students with St. EOM’s legacy.

Friday, September 11, 2026
5:30–7:30 p.m. | Lecture begins at 6:00 p.m.
Free and open to the public
Knoxville Museum of Art