Inspiration. That is the only way to describe The Magic Gardens in Philadelphia, PA. Back in April of this year, my mom, sister, niece, and I took a weekend long girls’ trip to Philly. One afternoon my sister suggested we go to The Magic Gardens. It sounds fantastic, doesn’t it? The Magic Gardens – it brings up imagery of The Secret Garden (one of my favorite books as a child) and all sorts of wonderful things. This particular “garden”, however, is not made up of plant life but it is chock full of splendor and imagination.
If you’ve never heard of this wonderful place, their Mission Statement says “Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens (PMB) preserves the artworks of Isaiah Zagar and educates the public about mosaic and folk art. By making art accessible, PMG seeks to foster civic engagement, community beautification, and artistic collaboration”. To learn more about the amazing story behind this place and the inspiring artist, click on this link: http://www.phillymagicgardens.org/
My sister told me this place was covered in mosaics (a medium that I love). I thought, “that sounds cool” and went along with it. Her words (and mine now for that matter) do not do this place justice. Overwhelming is putting it mildly. I took A LOT of pictures with my 35mm film camera. Even my pictures do not do it justice but I will attempt to try and inspire you with these photos, as the place inspired me. I’m still moved by it and envious of the lifelong commitment Mr. Zagar made to his community and his passion. I want to live my artistic life that way and so far, I am taking baby steps to get there.
So, without further ado, I will give you a small snippet of this insanely amazing labyrinth of mosaics.
If you have a love of art, a love of community, and a drive to keep both alive, I highly suggest visiting The Magic Gardens and donating to keep it alive. If we all lived our lives this passionately and determined, imagine what our world would be?
so glad that you posted photographs, that place looks amazing!
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