{"id":7704,"date":"2025-03-13T22:45:59","date_gmt":"2025-03-13T21:45:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/?p=7704"},"modified":"2026-01-30T16:36:45","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T15:36:45","slug":"and-a-magic-garden-in-philadelphia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/en\/and-a-magic-garden-in-philadelphia\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2026. And a Magic Garden in Philadelphia"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Visiting friends and relatives in the USA is always a good opportunity to discover with them the mosaic treasures of their place.<\/p>\n<p>This time I went to visit my nephew Cornelius in Philadelphia where he is doing a gap year for Action Reconciliation Service for Peace in a social project that cares for immigrants in Camden near Philadelphia.<\/p>\n<p>He was happy to tag along a tour of mosaics in Philli.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-7674\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/mosaic2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_2993-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/mosaic2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_2993-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/mosaic2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_2993-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/mosaic2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_2993-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/mosaic2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_2993-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/mosaic2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_2993-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/mosaic2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_2993-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/mosaic2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_2993-1320x990.jpeg 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>First we visited the \u201cDream Garden\u201d (see previous blog) and then went on to the \u201cMagic Garden\u201d of this otherwise very urban city centre full of beautiful art deco and newer buildings.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.phillymagicgardens.org\/about-philadelphias-magic-gardens\/themes\/\">https:\/\/www.phillymagicgardens.org\/about-philadelphias-magic-gardens\/themes\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Magic Garden is a life long project of Isaiah Zagar who used the work initially as therapy from a mental break down.<\/p>\n<p>The Magic Garden is a project classified under the term \u201c Art environment\u201d. It\u2019s now a foundation and we could even join a tour of this crazily busy mosaic project.<\/p>\n<p>What drew my attention?<\/p>\n<p>I am interested in grout lines (the interstices between the mosaic pieces) and how to use them in the design of a mosaic.<\/p>\n<p>In one work where Zagar glued colored pieces onto \u00a0free standing clear glass. \u00a0Some of the grout lines he left transparent. An interesting blurred color mix appears from the background.<\/p>\n\t\t<div id=\"serious-slider-178-rnd7035\" class=\"cryout-serious-slider seriousslider serious-slider-178-rnd7035 serious-slider-178 seriousslider-overlay1 seriousslider-light seriousslider-shadow-none seriousslider-responsive-maintain seriousslider-hidetitles-1 seriousslider-overslide seriousslider-sizing0 seriousslider-aligncenter seriousslider-caption-animation-slide seriousslider-textstyle-textshadow\" data-ride=\"seriousslider\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"seriousslider-inner\" role=\"listbox\">\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"item slide-1 active\" role=\"option\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a  >\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"item-image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/mosaic2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3008-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"IMG_3008\" >\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"seriousslider-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"seriousslider-caption-inside\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"seriousslider-caption-buttons\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!--seriousslider-caption-inside-->\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!--seriousslider-caption-->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"seriousslider-hloader\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"seriousslider-cloader\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"200\" height=\"200\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<circle cx=\"95\" cy=\"95\" r=\"20\" transform=\"rotate(-90, 95, 95)\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t  <\/figure>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"item slide-2 \" role=\"option\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a  >\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"item-image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/mosaic2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3009-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"IMG_3009\" >\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"seriousslider-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"seriousslider-caption-inside\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"seriousslider-caption-buttons\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!--seriousslider-caption-inside-->\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!--seriousslider-caption-->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"seriousslider-hloader\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"seriousslider-cloader\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"200\" height=\"200\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<circle cx=\"95\" cy=\"95\" r=\"20\" transform=\"rotate(-90, 95, 95)\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t  <\/figure>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"item slide-3 \" role=\"option\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a  >\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"item-image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/mosaic2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3010-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"IMG_3010\" >\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"seriousslider-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"seriousslider-caption-inside\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"seriousslider-caption-buttons\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!--seriousslider-caption-inside-->\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!--seriousslider-caption-->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"seriousslider-hloader\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"seriousslider-cloader\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"200\" height=\"200\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<circle cx=\"95\" cy=\"95\" r=\"20\" transform=\"rotate(-90, 95, 95)\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t  <\/figure>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"seriousslider-indicators\">\n\t\t\t\t<ol class=\"seriousslider-indicators-inside\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li data-target=\"#serious-slider-178\" data-slide-to=\"0\" class=\"active\"><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li data-target=\"#serious-slider-178\" data-slide-to=\"1\" ><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li data-target=\"#serious-slider-178\" data-slide-to=\"2\" ><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ol>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<button class=\"left seriousslider-control\" data-target=\"#serious-slider-178-rnd7035\" role=\"button\" data-slide=\"prev\">\n\t\t\t  <span class=\"sicon-prev control-arrow\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span>\n\t\t\t  <span class=\"sr-only\">Previous Slide<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t<button class=\"right seriousslider-control\" data-target=\"#serious-slider-178-rnd7035\" role=\"button\" data-slide=\"next\">\n\t\t\t  <span class=\"sicon-next control-arrow\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span>\n\t\t\t  <span class=\"sr-only\">Next Slide<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n<p>On other murals he used color on the grout cement to emphasize his design.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-7690\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/mosaic2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3014-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/mosaic2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3014-scaled.jpeg 1920w, https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/mosaic2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3014-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/mosaic2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3014-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/mosaic2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3014-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/mosaic2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3014-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/mosaic2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3014-420x560.jpeg 420w, https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/mosaic2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3014-1320x1760.jpeg 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I am not sure what I shall think of \u201cArt environments\u201d. I find them usually a bit overwhelming and lacking in solid technique. My germaness is getting in the way, I guess.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-7688\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/mosaic2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3012-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/mosaic2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3012-scaled.jpeg 1920w, https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/mosaic2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3012-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/mosaic2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3012-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/mosaic2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3012-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/mosaic2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3012-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/mosaic2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3012-420x560.jpeg 420w, https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/mosaic2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3012-1320x1760.jpeg 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>On the other hand they bear details that are innovative and intrigue my interest. This is wonderful.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Visiting friends and relatives in the USA is always a good opportunity to discover with them the mosaic treasures of their place. This time I went to visit my nephew Cornelius in Philadelphia where he is doing a gap year for Action Reconciliation Service for Peace in a social project that cares for immigrants in Camden near Philadelphia. He was happy to tag along a tour of mosaics in Philli. First we visited the \u201cDream Garden\u201d (see previous blog) and then went on to the \u201cMagic Garden\u201d of this otherwise very urban city centre full of beautiful art deco and newer buildings. https:\/\/www.phillymagicgardens.org\/about-philadelphias-magic-gardens\/themes\/ Magic Garden is a life long project of Isaiah Zagar who used the work initially as therapy from a mental break down. The Magic Garden is a project classified under the term \u201c Art environment\u201d. It\u2019s now a foundation and we could even join a tour of this crazily busy mosaic project. What drew my attention? I am interested in grout lines (the interstices between the mosaic pieces) and how to use &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":7692,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[73,77,96,85],"tags":[173],"class_list":["post-7704","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-posts-en","category-homepage-en","category-mosaics-around-the-world-en","category-mosaics-architectural-surfaces-en","tag-mosaic-usa-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7704","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7704"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7704\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7709,"href":"https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7704\/revisions\/7709"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7692"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7704"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7704"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mosaicmoments.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7704"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}