Fundraiser launched to revive iconic Sunnyside mural

The former Sunnyside Mural on the corner of 40th Street and 47th Avenue. Photo: GoFundMe/Nora Dantchev.

Sept. 23, 2024 By Shane O’Brien

A local property owner has launched a fundraising campaign to revive the famous Sunnyside mural on the corner of 40th Street and 47th Avenue.

Nora Dantchev, who owns the building at 39-47 47th Ave. where the mural was formerly located, is aiming to raise $9,500 to cover the cost of materials and compensate Victor Ving, the artist behind the original mural who has agreed to fly in from LA for the project. The fundraising campaign will also cover the cost of flying Ving over and back from LA to revive the mural.

Since creating the original mural in 2010, Ving has gone on to create a nationwide series of postcard murals in towns and cities across the US alongside his wife Lisa Beggs.

Ving’s original mural paid homage to many of the most iconic elements of Sunnyside, including the Sunnyside Arch, the 7 train, Sunnyside Gardens and the neighborhood’s many Irish bars.

However, the mural was removed earlier this year because the wall it was located on began to crumble, leaving Dantchev with no choice but to re-stucco the wall and the entire side of the building, removing the mural in the process.

Dirk McCall de Palomá, executive director of the Sunnyside Shines Business Improvement District (BID), said the BID strongly supports the revival of the Sunnyside mural, describing it as an important asset for the local community.

“When people think about Sunnyside, when people are writing articles about the neighborhood, or talking about the neighborhood, a picture of this mural is oftentimes what they use,” McCall de Palomá said. “They use the mural and they use the Sunnyside Arch. Those are two of the most iconic pictures out of Sunnyside, so it’s definitely important to get the mural back.”

He also noted that the mural inspired the logo for the NBC sitcom “Sunnyside”, which aired in 2019 before being canceled after one season.

McCall de Palomá said the mural is technically located outside the BID but said Sunnyside Shines often uses the mural for marketing purposes, adding that the BID is eager to raise awareness about Dantchev’s campaign.

“We’re excited to be helping people know about this,” he said. I personally made a contribution. I think a lot of people should. If we all come together, we can easily raise the money to get this done.”

He praised Dantchev for launching the campaign and said Sunnyside Shines’ role in the fundraising campaign is purely supportive and to raise awareness.

Dantchev, meanwhile, described the mural as a culturally significant piece of Sunnyside in a post on GoFundMe.

“Its vibrant depiction of local pride not only resonated with those near it, but also caught the attention of a broader audience,” Dantchev wrote on the fundraising platform.

At the time of writing, Dantchev’s fundraising campaign has raised roughly $2,700 to revive the Sunnyside mural.