Color is colliding with culture at Magic Gardens, where the city’s most dazzling mosaic maze is getting a festive twist for Día de los Muertos.
The local landmark is celebrating the holiday by partnering with Mexican-born, Philly-based artist and community organizer Ivonne Pinto-Garcia to present a series of events.
Skilled in cartonería, altarcitos, ofrendas, and the creation of mythical alebrijes for Day of the Dead celebrations, Pinto-García created a traditional Día de los Muertos ofrenda for Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens on South Street. The altar will be on view now through Nov. 3 to honor lost loved ones and symbolize the connection between the living and the dead.
“Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens has been fortunate to work with Ivonne — who we met through the South Street organization Puentes de Salud — in a variety of capacities over the past decade, most notably in the annual construction of our Dia de los Muertos ofrenda,” says PMG Events Manager Allison Boyle. “Ivonne brings her expertise and keen eye to creating our beautiful ofrenda at the Magic Gardens Museum, where it remains on view for around two weeks. Our visitors are able to interact with the ofrenda by leaving notes or photos of loved ones who have passed.”
To honor the Mexican tradition of welcoming back the souls of their deceased relatives for a reunion that often includes food, drink and celebrations, Magic Gardens Studio on Watkins Street will also be hosting a Día de los Muertos Crafting Party on Saturday, Oct. 25, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Pinto-García will lead a workshop for visitors to decorate their own sugar skulls and create paper flowers to take home to their own ofrenda.
A special Day of the Dead-themed scavenger hunt is available during the celebrations, plus tours educating visitors about the Mexican folk art found throughout creator Isaiah Zagar’s world-renowned mosaics. Since the Studio is a newer space, Boyles hopes that their new neighbors as well as regular visitors will join the workshop.
“Folk Art, and specifically Folk Art from Mexico, has always been part of the story of Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens. Isaiah Zagar, the founding artist of Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, and his wife Julia, first connected with Folk Artists in the 1960s when they worked in Peru as Peace Corps volunteers, and their connections grew as they traveled throughout Central and South America over the years,” says Boyle.
“Many of the Folk Art objects at the Magic Gardens Museum and Studio are special collaborative commissions between Isaiah and Folk Artists. Many of these partnerships have continued for years and resulted in hundreds of unique pieces that are installed throughout his work. It's part of our mission to continue supporting the work of these talented artists and to share their stories and traditions with the public.”
Pinto-García, who is originally from San Martín Texmelucan de Labastida in Puebla, Mexico, migrated to Philadelphia in 2005 where she involved herself in the local cultural scene, assisting other artists and promoting Mexican traditions through her work.
She has led workshops for Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens as well as Fleisher Art Memorial, the Free Library, and Cesar Andreu Iglesias Gardens and has been instrumental in building support networks across Philadelphia’s Mexican community by helping connect people with healthcare, education, wellness resources, and advocating through organizations such as Puentes de Salud and Juntos.
The Magic Gardens Museum is located at 1020 South Street, and the recently opened Magic Gardens Studio is at 1002 Watkins Street. Timed-tickets for Saturday’s event are available at phillymagicgardens.org.
