Matthew and I took a short vacation to Philadelphia this past weekend, spending two days as two of the city’s only pedestrians (hence, no posts). It was our first visit to Philly, and there were several attractions we were excited to see, you know, like that place where those guys signed a declaration and that bell with the big crack in it.
Unexpectedly, while walking along Center City’s South Street on that rainy Saturday afternoon, we stumbled upon an art installation our tourist brochures had failed to mention. Fifteen years ago mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar began the process of transforming his studio and the vacant lot next door into the Magic Gardens, more than 3,000 square feet of an indoor/outdoor labyrinthine mosaic made of glass, hand-made tiles, Latin American sculptures, and bicycle wheels.
Admittance into Zagar’s “Garden” is $4, which we happily paid for the chance to explore this truly magical, beautiful installation. Even on a rainy day (or perhaps because of it?), it was easy to feel lost in a private wonderland while walking along the tile- and glass-laden paths. I could have easily spent hours daydreaming from the labyrinth steps or on a bench in the garden, but because our visit was brief, I settled for taking dozens of photographs, hoping to capture a bit of the magic to bring back to Brooklyn with me.
If you are in the Philly area (or plan to be soon), I highly recommend that you visit the Gardens and pay the admittance fee to support this local artist and his community-based mosaic murals. It was raining when I visited, but I imagine that on a clear day with the pathways glistening in the sunlight, it’s just as magical.
For more details, visit the Magic Gardens website at http://www.phillymagicgardens.org/
Some of my photographs are below.
Tags: Art Installation, Isaiah Zagar, Magic Gardens, Mosaics, Philadelphia, Philly
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