Our Story
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In the 1930’s Phil Thomas began what was to be called the Yogi Magic Mart offering “Personalized Magic Services” to magicians across the country and beyond. The late Dennis Haney who would go on to found a similar enterprise called the Denny and Lee Magic Studio, based on his relationship with Yogi’s and Phil Thomas. Following in the lineage of master to student, Scott Alexander has created the Yogi Magical Arts Foundation which is dedicated to preserving this lineage that inspired Dennis, which in turn helped to spawn the creation of many professional magicians who got their foundation at Denny and Lee’s.
As current magical artists, we all “stand on the shoulders” of those mentors and teachers who have come before us. In honor this tradition, we plan to create a physical space for a public museum, magic library, classroom, video production studio, and lecture hall. We will be offering both online and in person training in the magical arts, as well as top notch tools and supplies for these artists, and a space for the public to absorb the rich history of magic and the legacy of those who cast its spell on our collective imagination.
All funds raised by the organization and its endeavors will be used for operational costs, preserving magic and its history, and to provide awards and scholarships to serious students of the magic and its allied arts. Our first two awards will be the Phil Thomas Award of Excellence and the Denny Haney Memorial Scholarship. We are just getting started, but we hope to make a lasting impact by preserving the history and fostering the future of magic and all who practice the art.