Philadelphia Magic Gardens Visit
One of the goals of this project was to drive me to visit places I previously hadn’t. I am fortunate enough to have a job that requires me to travel to many different cities, but felt I wasn’t taking advantage of these trips to explore new places. A large majority of my excursions in 2016 took me to chain hotels and the nearest Yelp-acclaimed restaurant. I made excuses… “Yeah, I’m usually too busy to even see anything while I’m there.” If my employer is going to bear the expense of sending me up and down the Eastern seaboard, shouldn’t I make a commitment to explore these places?
I’m happy to report I made the first such effort in a recent trip to Philadelphia. After returning downtown from a morning meeting in the suburbs, I left myself a few hours to check out a downtown sight: The Philadelphia Magic Gardens. This museum and art display spans half a block in the South Street Neighborhood. Its creator, Isaiah Zagar, has been beautifying this area of the city since the 1960s. He began decorating and constructing these “gardens” in a vacant lot next to his art studio in 1994 until the owner of the land discovered his creations in 2002. The owner threatened to sue and destroy Zagar’s masterpiece, but with the rallying of financial and legal support from the community, The Philadelphia Magic Gardens were able to incorporate as an official non-profit organization and his artwork has been preserved for visitors and locals alike.
Zagar’s work is beautifully chaotic and resourceful. His ability to use anything and everything to add to the grounds is amazing. Whether it is an old bicycle tire, a br0ken wine bottle or damaged sculptures from a local museum, Zagar finds a way to incorporate it within his detritus palace. He has used this masterpiece as a way to cope with his bouts of insanity and handle his bipolar condition, which displays the therapeutic strength of art.
Throughout his works, Zagar incorporates messages (some more subtle than others) to add another layer of meaning and substance for his audience. Of all the quotations and passages he included, the one that brought the biggest smile to my face was:
“Some people like the flash, some people like the hash, I like art and I make it out of trash”
Below I’ve included some additional photos I took of my afternoon at the Philadelphia Magic Gardens. Would highly recommend a visit to anyone that has a couple of extra hours while in Philadelphia.
