Unused, abandoned silos have been transformed into an incredible work of art!

The blighted, rusty grain silos have been called an eyesore - well, no longer! Located in Saginaw, Mich., the structures, once a part of the long-defunct Frutchey Bean Co., are now home to the second largest mural in the U.S.

Here's what it looked like before:

Shine Bright Saginaw Mural Project, Facebook
Shine Bright Saginaw Mural Project, Facebook
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The Shine Bright Project set out to address multiple community needs:

  • Transforming industrial blight into community beautification
  • Creating a public arts and culture space
  • Improving the Saginaw Riverfront
  • Generating tourism that will support local businesses
  • Creating a new backdrop for some of Saginaw's most important community assets.

I'd say mission accomplished! The massive mural was completed June 12 by world-renowned artist Okuda San Miguel. The six silos now "shine bright" with vivid colors and bold shapes created by the Spanish muralist.

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A community event was held to celebrate the project:

Okuda tells MLive the scale of the project, which involved painting 70,000-square-feet of surface area on the 70-year-old silos that reach heights of 150 feet, lead to him to rank the Saginaw mural as his favorite work of art:

I am super, super happy because, for the history of my career, Saginaw is on top, because it’s my biggest work ever.

In additional to the Shine Bright Mural, a community space has been created between the silo mural and the riverfront. With the goal of hosting festivals, concerts, and art exhibitions. the area features:

  • Green space
  • Staging space
  • Trash receptacles
  • Green benches
  • Ample parking

The Shine Bright Project says their next goals are to light the murals and develop the long term care of the space.

If you'd like to support the project, you can do so here.

If you're curious about what the largest mural in the U.S. is, it's Glass City River Wall in Toledo, Ohio.

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Gallery Credit: Lauren Gordon