For a joyous way to celebrate a sunny day, I recommend a visit to Philadelphia Magic Gardens. The gallery is located at 1020 South Street. The “gardens” are an urban wonderland of everyday recycled stuff like bottles, plates or bicycle wheels.
Found Objects
These objects are embedded into organic floor-to-sky walls of mosaics. Imagine walking into a courtyard where every square inch is vibrating with color and energy. As you wander, you’ll discover poetry, quotes and even people’s names integrated into the murals. Barcelona may have Gaudi, but Philadelphia has Isaiah Zagar!
Neighborhood Saves Artist’s Vision
The Magic Gardens grew out of local artist Zagar’s vision. He and other activists worked hard to transform blighted vacant lots on South Street in the 1990’s. Over the years, the creations expanded to fill several city lots. In 2004, Isaiah’s visionary project was rescued from demolition. Local residents and organizations rallied to raise funds to purchase the property.
Hundreds of Murals
Isaiah has created more than 200 mosaic murals and the project is still going strong. Take a stroll around the Bella Vista neighborhood. You will discover dozens of smaller-scale mosaics peeking beneath a flower box or transforming an apartment wall.
The Magic Gardens are open year-round to visitors for a small fee. Admission includes rooms of changing indoor art exhibits plus the grounds. Finally, make sure your smartphone or camera is fully charged. I took more than 200 pictures on my first visit.
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