Earlier this summer, I visited Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens. This site contains indoor spaces covered completely—floor, walls and ceilings—in mosaics, as well as an amazing outdoor mosaic and sculpture garden spanning half a block on South Street. The Magic Gardens are the vision of mosaic mural artist Isaiah Zagar. The mosaics and sculptures contain tiles created by Zagar, as well as a plethora of found and recycled objects, including bicycle wheels, pottery, and glass bottles.Throughout the mosaics, thought-provoking words, phrasesand sentences, sometimes in foreign languages, are presented. The outdoor space contains stairs and winding passages, all fully-mosaicked of course, which really give the experience a magical, exploratory feel. Despite the enormous diversity of colors and textures and types of material used, it is amazing the way the art works together to create a unified experience for the viewer. The only way to understand what Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens are really like is to experience the magic for yourself!

For more information about Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens and Isaiah Zagar, visit http://www.phillymagicgardens.org. The Magic Gardens are located at 1020 South Street in Philadelphia, and admission for students is $5.

Gallery • 11 Photos

"From behind a street corner"

All photos by Gilana Levavi (’14)/ Eastside Opinions Editor