Famed mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar left a legacy shaped by the glimmering murals and large-scale tile works he’s engraved throughout Philadelphia.
Zagar, who died at age 86 on Thursday due to complications of heart failure and Parkinson’s disease, will be remembered for his striking works and unrelenting mission to beautify the city he called home for more than five decades.
Zagar’s nearly 200 handcrafted works can be found throughout the country, but the bulk of his famed mosaics are within city lines.
Here’s some of the largest and boldest works the iconic artist has crafted in Philadelphia.
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Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens
1020 South St.
As inescapable as Zagar’s work is in Philadelphia, the Magic Gardens serves as the artist’s most grand, well-known project. Dating back to 1994, it consists of thousands of square feet of entirely mosaicked space stretched across three city lots, showcasing what Zagar once referred to as his “voluminous” output of art.
Magic Gardens Studio
1002 Watkins St.
If the Magic Gardens is the heart of Zagar’s output, his Magic Gardens Studio is the brain. Purchased in 2007, this 10,000-square-foot South Philly warehouse stands virtually entirely covered — inside and out — in Zagar’s artful mosaics, and long served as his studio and storage space.
Home of Isaiah and Julia Zagar
826 South St.
It doesn’t get much more personal than the Zagar’s home, where he and his family lived for about 40 years. Similar to his South Philly studio, the space is mosaicked inside and out in Zagar’s signature style, including a roughly 544-square foot piece covering the building’s façade.
This Is The Day, Jesus Journey
1036 South St.
Just steps away from the Magic Gardens sits the Waters Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Church, its side showcasing Jesus Journey — a 2006 mosaic that features a decidedly religious bent. At more than 400 square feet, it uses excerpts from the Bible detailing the life of Jesus Christ. And across the street, another similarly sized installation titled Bilal From Pakistan was completed in 2012 alongside artist Bilal Khan.
Rose and the Firefighters
600 block of Alder Street
Among Zagar’s most iconic murals, this piece stretches some 6,000 square feet along Alder and Kater Streets, just east of the Magic Gardens. This massive piece, completed in 2004, adorns the former headquarters of Engine Company 11, which once served as one of Philadelphia’s only Black fire companies between 1919 and 1952.
Jim’s Steaks
400 South St.
Blocks from Zagar’s home, Jim’s Steaks showcases the artist’s extensive mosaic work in a space formerly occupied by the Eyes Gallery, which Julia Zagar ran for decades. A 2022 fire damaged both the gallery and the neighboring original Jim’s building, prompting the cheesesteak shop to later expand next door — revealing a treasure trove of interior artwork that had long been covered.
Schell Street Walls
600 S. Schell St.
Vacant lots, rowhouses, and cheesesteak shops weren’t Zagar’s only canvasses — he also covered entire side streets in his mosaics. Completed over nearly 30 years, the 600 block of Schell Street showcases the artist’s work on both sides of the steet. Many pieces were created during community workshops Zagar held there over the years.
Fitness Works
714 Reed St.
There are more well-known murals than the one that occupies the lower façade and parking lot of this South Philly gym, but few are as large. At roughly 1,500 square feet all told, this piece was completed in 2014 as part of a mosaic mural workshop, and has since come to serve as landmark.
Homage to Mike Mattio, Master Plumber
700 block of Reese Street
Occupying the side of a number of row homes, this Zagar mosaic serves as a tribute to its eponymous Mike Mattio, a former plumber of the artist’s — portrait included. It is also something of a high-brow installation, thanks to references calling out artists ranging from William Blake to Duke Ellington.
Hip Hop Café
705 Passyunk Ave.
This building has housed quite a few businesses over the years. At least since 2002, it has showcased Zagar’s Hip Hop Café mosaic mural. The piece covers the structure’s 500-square-foot front, which today is home to Momoka Ramen Skewers’ Queen Village location.
