Private Tour of the Philadelphia Magic Gardens

Fair Market Value: $300

Private tour for up to 10 people with Executive Director Emily Smith and Preservation Manager Stacey Holder. Guests will see special spaces not normally open to the public and hear all the behind-the-scenes stories!

• Your credit card will be automatically charged at the conclusion of the auction.

Philadelphia Magic Gardens

Philadelphia's Magic Gardens (PMG) is an immersive mixed media art environment that is completely covered with mosaics. The creator, Isaiah Zagar, used handmade tiles, bottles, bicycle wheels, mirror, and international folk art to chronicle his life and influences. The space is made up of two indoor galleries and a bi-level outdoor sculpture garden.

As a nonprofit museum, PMG celebrates art in its many forms through community outreach, public programs, hands-on activities, exhibitions, and tours. We welcome everyone to explore the space and embrace the possibility of self-expression.

Zagar has devoted himself to beautifying the South Street neighborhood since the late 1960s, when he moved to the area with his wife, Julia. The couple helped spur the revitalization of the area by renovating derelict buildings and adding colorful mosaics on both private and public walls. The Zagars, teamed with other artists and activists, transformed the neighborhood into a prosperous artistic haven and successfully led protests against the addition of a new highway that would have eliminated South Street. This period of artistic rebirth was coined the "South Street Renaissance." After the street was saved, Zagar continued creating mosaic murals, resulting in hundreds of public artworks over the next five decades.