Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens Hosts New Exhibition, Threads of Transformation: Works by Krista Dedrick-Lai and Margaux Mcallister

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Beginning May 17, the internationally renowned immersive art  environment Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens (PMG) (1020-22 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147) presents a new exhibition curated by Exhibitions Manager Chelsey Luster, titled Threads of Transformation: Works by Krista Dedrick-Lai and Margaux McAllister. The collection showcases paintings, textiles, and sculptures by multidisciplinary artists Krista Dedrick-Lai and Margaux McAllister, sharing their journeys of self-reflection and growth through womanhood and motherhood. 

In the exhibition, the artists examine human connections and transformation, navigating brokenness, tenderness, and togetherness through the collection of mixed-media works. Dedrick-Lai is a  multidisciplinary artist whose work confronts the everyday struggles of motherhood, domesticity, and being human. In her mixed-media work, Dedrick-Lai paints, weaves, and sews with a full range of bright  neon marks to dark ominous brushstrokes. She negotiates the nonlinear space of healing and acceptance, perpetually carving out spaces of light in the dark and methodically making a way forward. 

After earning her BFA from Tyler School of Art, Dedrick-Lai made Philadelphia her home and now lives and works just steps from the Italian Market with her husband and child. In 2021, a poster Dedrick-Lai  created for a project organized by Mural Arts and Streets Dept was added to the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s collections. In March 2023, a solo exhibition of her mixed-media work, I’ll Carry It For You, was presented at Da Vinci Art Alliance in Philadelphia. Before Threads of Transformation at PMG, Dedrick Lai had solo exhibitions at The Middle Room Gallery in Los Angeles, California, and the Chimaera Gallery in Philadelphia. 

Joining Dedrick-Lai in Threads of Transformation is Margaux McAllister, a multidisciplinary artist based in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. In the exhibition, she explores the complexities of motherhood, familial relationships, mental health, and healing. McAllister is nationally and internationally exhibited artist who received her BFA from Moore College of Art and Design in 2004 and her MFA from San Francisco Art Institute in 2010. As an artist and a mother, McAllister creates rug-tufted masks and paintings that  express emotional states that challenge and define our identities. Her masks, figures, and animals are physical manifestations of feelings brought on by her experiences. The inherent dichotomy that exists in  a mask allows for the wearer to hide and expose parts of themselves simultaneously. With her rug-tufted masks, McAllister subverts the domestic qualities of that medium. Joy, tenderness, anger, love, and frustration can be found in her works. 

Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens is open year-round Wednesday to Monday, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. General admission the gardens range from $8 to $15, with discounts available to select groups. Access to exhibitions displayed in PMG’s galleries is free with admission. Learn more at www.phillymagicgardens.org.