A Field Trip to Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens
In my own experience, it is difficult to grow in my artistic craft, whether it be writing, singing, or setting up travel photos, without purposefully studying varying methods or niches involved in that craft. For example, when going through voice lessons in high school, I dove into music varying from musical theatre to opera, later performing in operatic competitions. The first of these was at Messiah College, a Christian University in Mechanicsburg. As it was serving as a host for a fine arts festival, there were diverse contests going on across the campus that day, allowing the performers to sit as audience members where they pleased.
As my opera performance was not scheduled until after lunch, I remember spending my morning and late afternoon weaving in and out of classrooms and concert halls, roaming from melodic piano tunes to rooms full of exceptional acoustics working in favor of the acapella groups visiting that day. With my performance aside, a new purpose for the day shifted into view - I was made keenly aware of the enjoyment and rewards to be found in taking a personal artist field trip.
Despite my best efforts to study varying vocal tones and harmonious styles of music, none of my one-on-one sessions could have given the same cognition as this immersive excursion provided. Classroom-bound training and interactive field trips are two incomparable methods of learning, both of equal value yet offering unique benefits. Although my individual voice lessons with a teacher I now call a dear friend were pivotal to growing me as a vocal artist and preparing me for vocal performances, there is a reason that I still think back upon this single day at Messiah College for the role it played in my further development as an artist, namely the exposure it gave me to different musical styles and expressions of one’s craft.
While the diversity of musical styles could inspire an entirely new set of blog posts, let us stay on track with our discussion of artistic field trips, more specifically, their significance in the lives of artists.
Personal Artist Field Trips as a Tool for Growth
Just as my trip to Messiah College impacted my journey as a vocal artist, so do personal field trips shape the imaginative minds of artists, wiring their perception of the world around them and placing novel artistry before them. For the painter, visiting a ceramics shop or wandering streets in search of graffiti might not initially sound of interest. However, it is these examinations of alternate art forms that end up inspiring them further, with inspiration striking in peculiar ways. Similar to my vocal coaching in my high school’s basement choir classroom, artists must also emerge from their studios, where they have grown comfortable and safe in the creative processes they have adopted, and venture into unknown territory to discover others’ works that have been released to the public eye. For it is through personal artist field trips that these creatives can unearth both regal and rare artwork, ultimately challenging themselves in their own artistic journeys.
Contrary to the mandated field trips taken throughout elementary school, personal artist field trips do not need to be tied down to a specific curriculum, nor do they even have to be justified for visiting. As any artist can attest to, their industry is full of designs on both ends of the spectrum, with some making sense by meeting industry standards and others breaking every sort of artistic rule there might be. The art industry provides room for both of these extremes, challenging one’s perception of art in the first place and creating a space for artistic expression and interpretation to roam freely.
Philadelphia is home to a mystique that called me to its gates years back, earning itself a gold medal among other contenders for personal artist field trips.
A Captivating Jewel in the City of Brotherly Love
In metropolitan areas, artistic expression is never difficult to find, as multiculturalism is a motor for outward expression of self. Philadelphia is no different, with its animated streets and neighborhoods exhibiting these values and talents. Brightening up South Street is a must-visit community arts center that is most visited for its mosaic passageways and walls constructed of oddities known as none other than Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens. Living up to its name, the gallery sets a scene for the wanderers and wonderers who seek awe-inspiring spectacles.
The glimmering network of art is the largest work created by Isaiah Zagar, a Philadelphia-based mosaic artist who has decorated many a number of public walls throughout the city, even earning his work a permanent residency among collections in the likes of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. While his work is a sight to behold at this esteemed museum, there is the added bonus of eccentricity at Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, where guests can walk up and down mosaic stairs at their leisure, pass by bicycle wheels and handmade tiles, and photograph the peculiar corners to be found within its borders. The outdoor sculpture garden is the main draw of the collection, but its indoor art galleries are not to be missed either. In what is operating as a nonprofit museum, the space has become an active part of the community, transforming South Street since its opening in 2008 and hosting exhibitions, organizing community outreach events, and celebrating art in all of its expressions.
Mosaics may now be among the minority of art forms created by individuals, but their timeless disposition and lasting presence among many of the world’s most honored cathedrals give them an ever-present exaltation in the industry. With their unlikely alliance with recycled items at Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, visitors see the beautiful result of old things made new, celebrating this modern take on self-expression.
While many artists do not include mosaics in their creative process, taking a personal artist field trip here is an authentic way to immerse oneself into differing art forms that stretch their own interpretation of what art can be. The beauty of art is that there need not be any strict regulations as to what constitutes something as art. Rather, the presence of such restrictions would prove to hinder the very senses that inspire art in the first place. Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens are a persuasive reminder of the freedom found in art, with a personal field trip here giving artists the go-ahead to release themselves from the former restrictions they may have imposed upon their craft and to instead lean back into their innovative visions once more.
We Are No Longer Slaves
The individuality and resourcefulness of locations such as Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens remind me, personally, of God’s unique design in each of us. Since the beginning, God has been breaking the mold of what man would expect human design to look like. We are told quite literally in Genesis 2 that our Creator formed man from the dust of the earth, an incomprehensible image in and of itself. Over time, humanity has made its own assumptions and “rules” as to what expectations men and women are to live up to, changing those beliefs and definitions to fit their own agenda when they see fit. But God has always designed man in His own image, dispersing his talents and giving a portion of His goodness to these individuals in the hopes that they will one day honor Him with them.
God goes before us as the ultimate artist, inspiring us with His superior design laid out for all of humanity to adore. This divine blueprint is outside of nature’s laws that scientists have been trying to make sense of for centuries, acting as the true source of inspiration for artists around the world. Take Iceland, for example, a beautifully diverse country I visited in March of 2022. Nicknamed the Land of Fire and Ice, one would not expect such a glacial island to be teeming with geothermal heat under its surface, even spewing out of a volcano. The whole idea of Iceland is unconventional and contradictory, yet it is a tangible place inspiring tourism, photography, and outdoor exploration.
With our view of God as the ultimate artist and our understanding and confidence in Him as our Savior, believers are in agreement that He has freed us from sin, complacency, and life of dullness. Even with this faith, we sing of no longer being slaves to sin or to the world yet are constantly adding rules and stipulations to the gospel that shade what God has actually done for us. Much like artists forgetting the creative freedom they have to produce meaningful works, we also forget the freedom the Lord gives us to live redeemed lives. He has not called us to continue sinning nor to get so caught up in our mistakes that we forget His invitation into His presence. Instead, God has justified us through His son and has equipped us with the materials necessary to live freely in His righteousness, ultimately looking to Him as our sovereign example, everywhere from His moral character to His creativity as an artist.
