Back to School Ball at Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens

Free Admission for Educators

-Friday, September 10, 6:00pm-9:00pm-
(Philadelphia, PA) – August 30, 2010 – On September 10, 6:00pm-9:00pm, Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens (PMG) hosts its first annual Back to School Ball exclusively for teachers and educators. This free event will invite local and regional educators to learn more about PMG and the mosaic environments of Isaiah Zagar.  Participants will also create projects directly applicable to the classroom in a variety of subject areas including art, history, and social studies.

Guests will enjoy a guided tour through the glittering mosaics from a seasoned PMG tour guide, watch a screening of the Monumental Mosaics instructional video, view and make beautiful crafts, and kick up their heels on the tiled dance floor!  Free raffle tickets will be given for over $800 of prizes including a mosaic by Isaiah Zagar, an autographed In A Dream DVD, a free intensive weekend Mosaic Method Workshop voucher, tile-inspired jewelry, Monumental Mosaics: The Isaiah Zagar Method DVD, and more!

PMG’s FREE Back to School Ball Celebration will include the following activities:

• Refreshments and light fare from local restaurants
• Free tours of PMG led by trained Garden Guide interpreters
• Mosaic and PMG themed hands-on activity tables
• DJ Captain Ridiculous spinning music all night long
• Over $800 of raffle prizes
• Mosaic Mural Teacher’s Scholarship information
• Take-away PMG lesson plans featuring State Curriculum Standards
• Screening of Monumental Mosaics: The Isaiah Zagar Method
• Gifts from Dick Blick art store

Space is limited. To reserve your spot RSVP to khealy@phillymagicgardens.org with your name and organization’s address and phone number.

Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens is located at 1020 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147.  For more information, please call 215-733-0390 or view our website at www.phillymagicgardens.org.

PMG’s Back to School Ball is generously supported by Dick Blick, Lovash Indian Restaurant, Philadelphia Brewing Company and other local restaurants.

CLICK HERE TO BE REDIRECTED TO GROUPON.COM TO PURCHASE THE DISCOUNTED TICKETS

Click above to buy a $34 second-tier ticket to “Mattila Debuts” on 1/15/10 at 8 p.m., “The Firebird” on 2/14/10 at 2 p.m., or “Philadelphia Premieres” on 2/18/10 at 8 p.m. ($71 Value).

• Buy here for a $47 front or center orchestra ticket to “Mattila Debuts” on 1/15/10 at 8 p.m., “The Firebird” on 2/14/10 at 2 p.m., or “Philadelphia Premieres” on 2/18/10 at 8 p.m. ($96 value).
• Buy here for a $52 first-tier rear box-seat ticket to “Mattila Debuts” on 1/15/10 at 8 p.m., “The Firebird” on 2/14/10 at 2 p.m., or “Philadelphia Premieres” on 2/18/10 at 8 p.m. ($106 value).

This Valentine’s Day, give the classical music buff in your life a gift that makes up for last year’s gift of tickets to see Composerbot, the music-composing automaton that went “a little caca” immediately after completing its Ninth Symphony and devoured an innocent Ford Tempo. Today’s deal gets you a seat at your choice of three differentPhiladelphia Orchestra performances at Verizon Hall in the Kimmel Center, with second-tier, front or center orchestra, and first-tier box seats available for all three shows. Prices start at $34 for second-tier seats ($71 value), go up to $47 for front or center orchestra seats ($96 value), and end at $52 for box seats ($106 value).

You’ll have your choice of three stellar performances:

• On Friday, January 15, at 8 p.m., enjoy “Mattila Debuts”. For this show, Finnish soprano Karita Mattila will be singing Strauss’s Four Last Songs, Martinu’s Symphony no. 3, and the Adagio from Mahler’s Tenth.
• On Valentine’s Day at 2 p.m., Andrey Boreyko will be conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra through “The Firebird”, featuring Barber’s Night Flight, Chopin’s second piano concerto, Kancheli’s “Morning Prayers,” and Stravinsky’s legendary Firebird suite.
• On Friday, February 18, at 8 p.m., conductor Rossen Milanov will be at the helm for “Philadelphia Premieres”, which features a little Barber and Rachmaninoff, as well as Richard Danielpour’s A Woman’s Life, which focuses on the life of American soprano Angela Brown.

If you can’t decide, then don’t. You can buy Groupons for all three concerts. Verizon Hall can house hundreds, so buy one for everyone in your scrappy, punk-rock marching orchestra.

You must bring your Groupon to the box office at least 48 hours ahead of your chosen show to receive your seats.

September Sunday South Street Stroll with Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens and Supper

Back by popular demand, Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, in partnership with chic South Street restaurant Supper, announces another memorable evening of arts, culture, and fine dining!   On September 27^th at 4:00p.m., enjoy an hour-long guided tour, a three-course gourmet dinner, and a complimentary drink for only $40 per person!

First, take an hour-long walking tour that explores Isaiah Zagar’s public murals throughout the side alleys and public spaces around Philadelphia’s famous South Street.  View a myriad of mosaic murals between the 4^th and 10^thStreets, including locations rarely seen by South Street visitors.  An experienced PMG guide will discuss the materials, techniques, imagery, and stories of these artworks, while incorporating pieces of local Philadelphia history.

After working up your appetite, stroll into local restaurant Supper for a three-course meal and refreshing drinks.  Supper offers seasonal modern American cuisine served in a beautiful, relaxing setting. Light sculptures designed by local artist Warren Muller offer ambience in both the restaurant’s ceilings and the mosaiced walls of PMG. For your special Sunday supper, you’ll receive three courses paired with a complimentary glass of wine or bottled beer.  With this exceptional package, participants save over $20 on both tour and dining prices.

Space is limited to 20 people and will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. Your tour begins at 4:00 p.m. inside Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens at 1020 South Street.  Interested participants must reserve tickets in advance by calling Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens at 215-733-0390 before 5:00 p.m. on Friday, September 25.  We require a 24-hour advance notice if you cannot attend this event.

Experience some of the best of local cultural entrepreneurs with a blend of arts, Philadelphia history, and fine dining on this September Sunday South Street Stroll!

Information At-A-Glance

Who: Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens (PMG) and Supper restaurant

What: Sunday South Street Stroll, a neighborhood walking tour followed by a gourmet dinner

Where: Tour starts at PMG (1020 South St.) and weaves through surrounding neighborhood, ending at Supper (926 South St.)

When: Sunday, September 27, 2009 at 4:00 p.m.  Reserve your tickets by Friday, September 25 at 5:00 p.m.

Philly Fiction 2 Authors to Read at Moonstone Arts Center

Wednesday, September 23, 7pm.

Believing that there is no better backdrop for fiction than Philadelphia, Don Ron Books recently released Philly Fiction 2 (Don Ron Books, July 2009, $12.00), a follow up to its highly successful Philly Fiction (Don Ron Books, 2006). Philly Fiction 2 is a new collection of short stories all set in Philadelphia, by 19 Philly writers. Come out as four of the authors read selections from their stories, and reveal their favorite “strange” Philadelphia spots.

Authors: Beth Goldner, Jan Kargulewicz, Liz Kerr, Annie Wilson (see bios and story synopses on the next page!) Hosts: Josh McIlvain and Christopher Munden (editors)

Location: Moonstone Arts Center (Robins Books), 110A South 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19127, 215-735-9600, www.moonstoneartscenter.org

Date: Wednesday, September 23, 7pm