It’s spring house tour time!

If you follow our Unexpected Philadelphia blog and website,  you know we’ve visited  nine inspiring, art-filled homes belonging to members of the Philadelphia Dumpster Divers – that warm and wacky band of artists and collectors who exhibit,  socialize and produce witty,  up-cycled art together.

Today we’re heading to South Street to visit the home, gallery and visionary art environment of the couple who initiated us into the Divers’ magic circle:   famed mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar and his wife Julia Zagar,  owner of South Street’s iconic Eye’s Gallery.

(And,  yes,  if you guessed that Isaiah and Julia have a few mosaic walls in their home then,  well,  you guessed right….)

WHEN  ISAIAH  MET  JULIA…

They met in New York in 1963,  following a gallery show of Julia’s work.   Three months later they were married and planning a life-altering adventure:  a three-year Peace Corps stint as art advisors in the Andes mountains of Peru.

(That’s Isaiah and Julia at right during their 1964-1967 Peace Corps service,  where they helped Peruvian craftspeople develop their work for the world market.)

(And here they are a half-century later, still plotting adventures.)

“WHERE  DO  ALL  THE  HIPPEST  MEET….?”

Returning with trunkloads of Peruvian crafts,  they bought a former clothing store on Philadelphia’s bohemian South Street,  when the once bustling garment district was declining and artists and musicians were moving in.

In 1968,  they opened the Eye’s Gallery to sell their handcrafted treasures.

(A first floor corner of the Eye’s Gallery today.  The Zagars’ original kitchen was located here,  where they could see incoming customers.)

The Zagars originally lived behind and above the shop,  but it soon expanded to fill three floors as Julia travelled the world,  forming lifelong bonds with craftspeople in Mexico,  Guatemala,  India,  Peru,  and more.

(Just a few of the hand-selected objects you’ll find on the second floor.   The Eye’s Gallery,  402 South Street,  also specializes in handcrafted jewelry and clothing.)

MEET  THEM  ON  SOUTH  STREET

After the couple’s two sons were born,  they moved into another fixer-upper on South Street and began filling it with treasures from their travels – and with Isaiah’s signature mosaics.

 (A view of Julia and Isaiah’s art-filled living room….)

(….and their mosaic-filled guest bedroom.)

WELCOME  TO  THE  GARDEN

But Isaiah didn’t confine his mosaic artistry to their gallery and home:  Over 200 South Philadelphia walls now sparkle with his unmistakable combination of mirror,  tile and found objects.

(Isaiah’s fanciful people greet you around every corner of his Magic Gardens.)

And nowhere is that artistry more evident than at Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens,  Isaiah’s visionary art environment  at 1020 South Street,  where you can also attend exhibits,  take workshops (including mosaic classes with Isaiah),  and even celebrate your wedding.

(From bottles and bike wheels to broken pottery and hand-painted tiles:   Nothing goes to waste in the Magic Gardens.)

READY  FOR  THE  FULL  TOUR?

So click here to tour Julia and Isaiah’s home,  gallery and Magic Gardens on our Unexpected Philadelphia website.

And,  as always when you arrive there,  be sure to click on any thumbnail image to see a much larger photo.   (You can scroll through the large photos using the arrows at the bottom of the screen.)   Each large photo also comes with an individual caption that shows on non-mobile devices like laptops and desktop computers.

(Julia and Isaiah greet you from their kitchen chairs.   They were carved by Mexican artisans using drawings provided by Isaiah.)

And check back in May when we’ll show you images from “Dear Julia”,  a new exhibit of art by Julia and Isaiah Zagar,  opening Friday,  April 29 at the Magic Gardens.   Visit the Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens website for more information.

(A joint Isaiah-Julia portrait on the front window of their home.)

KEEPING   UP   WITH   UNEXPECTED  PHILA.

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Enjoy the tour….!

Kate & Dave