Isaiah Zagar’s mosaic murals are as iconic to Philadelphia as cheesesteaks or the Rocky steps. So, when his beloved The Skin of the Bride mural in Old City was marked for demolition, Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, the nonprofit dedicated to Zagar’s work, mobilized a team of preservationists and Weitzman students to complete photographic documentation and preservation of the mural.
A fall studio in the Department of Historic Preservation, led by writer and researcher Ashley Hahn (MSHP’08, MCP’08), further explored the uncertain future of Zagar’s collection of work in Philadelphia. Over the course of the studio, students addressed the fact that there is no regulatory framework protecting the 200+ mosaic murals by conducting stakeholder interviews and surveys with community members and researching public art conservation around the world.
Though efforts to prevent the demolition of The Skin of the Bride were ultimately unsuccessful, the Weitzman students’ work and partnerships with the community offer hope for the future of public art preservation in Philadelphia.