Philadelphia's South Street is home to one of the most remarkable creations of art in the city. Known as the Magic Gardens, this work by artist Isaiah Zagar spans almost an entire block and engulfs everything in sight including the pathways and building walls. The continuously evolving work is a colourful riot and incorporates tiles, bottles, bicycle tires, spokes; pretty much anything you could think of. With this stunning landscape and installations, the artist draws you into his world for a peek into his mind. This one is not to be missed.
Few artistic geniuses have captured the human form and condition in sculpture-like Auguste Rodin. Marvel at perhaps his most famous work, The Thinker, and wonder at the introspective nature of man and the might that is thought and creation. The Kiss and other noteworthy sculptures are also on hand including his last work, Gates of Hell. Apart from the French Rodin Musee, the Philadelphia locale is considered the largest collection of his masterpieces.
Open now
Woodmere
This museum is in a beautiful 19th-Century stone Victorian mansion in Chestnut Hill. It opened in 1940 and its permanent collection includes more than 2500 works of art. The collection also includes over 300 paintings and sculpture works by Daniel Garber, Thomas Pollock Anshutz, Edward Moran, Violet Oakley, Benjamin West, Robert Riggs, Jessie Willcox Smith and Herbert Pullinger. The museum also conducts art lecture series, excursions, music concerts and campaigns with the help of its members.
Open now
It's hard to state simply exactly what the Art Alliance does. There are exhibits of contemporary work, such as the Andy Warhol retrospective, but there are also poetry readings, art and travel lectures, play readings, chamber concerts, and the occasional dance concert or performance art installation. The building itself is a magnificent 1906 mansion designed by Charles Klauder of Frank Miles Day & Brothers Architects. On the premises is Opus 251, a quiet restaurant that takes advantage of the garden in back.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art houses a stunning collection of over 240,000 objects, showcasing treasures that span continents and cultures. This remarkable collection is part of a larger compilation of more than 400,000 works of art, including prints, drawings, photographs, and more. The museum itself is an architectural marvel, with its imposing stone edifice supported by majestic Doric columns, standing proudly above the Schuylkill River. Visitors are invited to explore a world of art and history within its walls and don’t forget to channel your inner Rocky by scaling the iconic steps made famous in the classic film series.
Open now
Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) can best be described as—a large, square space filled with ideas and beauty. Past shows have included retrospectives of Agnes Martin, Robert Morris, Cindy Sherman, Robert Mapplethorpe, Paul Thek and Peter Campus. There's no permanent collection, so check ahead about the current schedule. From July 1, 2008 ICA has become free to all visitors.
