Vibrant New ‘Magic Wonder Safari' Mural Expands Sterling Heights’ Public Art Initiative

Sterling Heights has added a splash of color and creativity to the city by unveiling its latest public art piece, the "Magic Wonder Safari" mural. Painted by local artist Anthony Lee, this eye-catching mural now brightens the west side wall of Zap Zone at 43680 Van Dyke, bringing new life to the North Van Dyke Avenue Corridor.

The "Magic Wonder Safari" mural spans 144 feet wide by 24 feet high and is an abstract blend of characters, shapes, and colors designed to engage viewers. Anthony Lee, known for his extensive portfolio of over 200 murals in major cities like Toronto, Houston, and Detroit, has crafted this piece as a "fun, interactive puzzle for the eye."

Following the successful launch of the city of Sterling Heights' first-ever Public Art Mural Program in 2018, the Sterling Heights Arts Commission plays a key role in seeking businesses interested in participating. By offering a side of their building, local Sterling Heights businesses can support the enhancement of life for residents and visitors alike by adding beauty and character to city spaces and humanizing the built environment. Zap Zone is now the third Sterling Heights business to support the public art mural program and add value to the cultural, aesthetic and economic vitality of a community.

"One of the core values of the Sterling Heights Vision 2040 plan is 'fun,' and if there's one thing that connects us all as human beings, it's the desire to have fun. Our new Magic Wonder Safari mural is just that - fun with a capital F," said Sterling Heights Mayor Pro Tem Liz Sierawski. "This mural is simply breathing life into the North Van Dyke Avenue corridor by humanizing a built environment, transforming it into a beautiful focal point for our community. I'm proud to add this latest installation to our amazing collection of public art throughout Sterling Heights."

The mural is also a key addition to Sterling Heights' Vision 2040 initiative, aimed at creating vibrant and distinctive spaces throughout the city.

"One of our Visioning 2040 guiding principles is that we want Sterling Heights to be filled with distinctive areas, meaning we work to fill our community with vibrant and attractive areas with unique offerings and focal points," said Sterling Heights Mayor Michael Taylor. "This mural was the perfect opportunity to help bring that part of our vision to life, and Mr. Lee has done a tremendous job in transforming a once drab cement wall into an eye-catching addition to the North Van Dyke Avenue Corridor."

The mural is expected to become an iconic backdrop for residents and visitors, offering a unique spot for photos and further enhancing the aesthetic of our community.

Sterling Heights continues to grow its increasingly impressive public art collection which can be viewed on our "Art Map" app that uses GIS technology to identify the location of all major pieces of public art commissioned by the City in an easy-to-use digital format. View the Art Map online: bit.ly/3Ayrzvb