Mountain Lake is a natural fresh water lake of about 50 acres located in Giles County, Virginia, at an elevation of 3,875 feet, high in the Appalachians. A beautiful resort hotel has been located there since 1856. That was the location of a series of symposia from the years 1980 to 1990 dealing with art and art criticism and bringing in scholars from other fields. This book surveys these events. Appalachian scholars may find the symposium featuring the folk artist Howard Finster of particular interest. Finster (1916-2001) a native of Valley Head, Alabama, created a folk art display he termed Paradise Garden at his home near Pennville, Georgia about 25 miles east of his birthplace.
Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2018. 349 pages with Commentary by Donald B. Kuspit and an Index. 12” X 9” hardback with pictorial cover