Freedom Square 3
Making Magic on Freedom Square with Isaiah Zagar, 2013
Witness the participatory process of making of a mosaic art stage with Philadelphia artist Isaiah Zagar and many local artists and community members, at Freedom Square –an urban cultural and spiritual oasis located at the mystical corner where 5th and 6th Avenues meet 101st Street a block from the Hudson River in North Troy.
This video created by Victoria Kereszi and edited by Andrew Lynn. Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens creator and artist-in-residence Isaiah Zagar, with assistance from ceramic artist Jillian Hirsch and others, led the community in a two-day workshop to transform the Freedom Square Art Stage! On a hot weekend in early June of 2013, several hundred neighbors and Sanctuarians came together to complete an original mural mosaic, incorporating found material and ceramic tiles crafted by members of community youth and school groups. Participants worked on the mosaic from conception to completion– creating a shimmering backdrop for a new art stage.
The stage at Freedom Square, developed as part of the year-long “Found Art in North Troy” project in 2013, This public art installation was part of our “Found Art in North Troy” project, with support from NEA Our Town Creative Place-making grant, Alfred Z Solomon Charitable Trust, and the City of Troy.