Missing Zebra Returns to Atlantic City

Stephanie Segal Miller (center) with her “dazzle” of assistants, artists (left to right) Emily White, Tabitha Brown, and Dylan Caccamesi, and contractor JD from JDR Services. Photo by Sydney Vuong, 2025.

We didn’t need any special permits to bring Stephanie Segal Miller’s zebra back to Atlantic City, so we did. "It was a joy to return to Atlantic City,” Stephanie says. “The community welcomed me back with open arms, children zipped by on bicycles and visited with us after school, residents stopped by to talk, offered us food and drinks, and there was the happy surprise from a woman who told me her grandson had memorized the text, which celebrates each person’s uniqueness.” 

“Every zebra’s stripes are unique, just like the fingerprints of that other exotic, fascinating, unique animal – the human being. You!”

Stephanie Segal Miller with Tina Notaro, ACAF’s program manager.

Stephanie adorned this positive message on a 50-foot wall in the Northside neighborhood, spelled out emphatically in large black-and-white capitalized text, and validated by the larger-than-life illustrated zebra standing proudly on the adjoining page, a spread inspired by the artist’s original children’s book U is for Urial: An Animal Alphabet.

When Stephanie first painted her Z is for Zebra mural in 2021, residents and neighbors of the nearby Shore Park Hi Rise visited with the artist at work and shared compliments and stories, admiring and engaging with the piece in their own unique ways. Whether it was assisting a grandmother in teaching her grandson to read, or serving as the exotic background in product photos for a custom sneaker designer who lives next door, the zebra was a well-loved creature in an often overlooked, in-the-cut neighborhood.

In the years since, underlying insufficiencies in the wall required repair and complete removal of the mural. Without adequate preparation to the wall surface, any mural is subject to accelerated deterioration from natural elements like sun exposure, humidity, rain, and freeze-thaw cycles. Long-lasting murals also require a UV-protective clear coat to guard against sun damage that dulls dark and vibrant colors, and an anti-graffiti coating to protect against vandalism. The Atlantic City Arts Foundation maintains an ongoing partnership with the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) to seal, protect, and clean outdoor murals in support and service to public art and its preservation.

Thanks to our recent NJEDA funding, ACAF worked with JDR Services to resurface and prep the wall for the zebra’s triumphant return, which included scraping off a decade’s worth of paint layers, grinding down uneven surfaces, and applying multiple coats of primer. This thorough effort will add years to the new mural’s longevity.

Stephanie, a former Atlantic City resident, recently relocated to Florida with her husband Joel, where she has been exploring new mediums in glasswork and jewelry.  An 18-hour drive brought her back to town, with local accommodations generously provided by Cozy Cohost and their hospitable team (thank you Alanna!), and supplemented by additional support from our friends at Cardinal Restaurant and Hayday Coffee in the Orange Loop. 

Upon her arrival, overcast skies and mild temperatures were “perfect” conditions for Stephanie to begin work with her team of local assisting artists: Tabitha Brown, Dylan Caccamesi, Emily White, and Nadia Chiorazzo. Starting with a measured and marked chalk-line grid, Stephanie instructed her assistants through every step of the process. Slowed only briefly by the errant springtime rainshower, cloudy skies gave way to warm and sunny days, where paint met primer at an efficient pace.  

Stephanie instructing assistants Tabitha & Nadia. Photo by Sydney Vuong, 2025.

Emily White works on adding the mural’s title to the wall.

Over eight days, including Stephanie’s observance of the Sabbath, a lost artwork was restored. In that brief time, many of the same residents and neighbors who had witnessed the mural’s initial arrival, slow destruction, and ultimate removal, now welcomed its return with gratitude and hospitality.

According to Stephanie, the best view of this piece is from just beyond the next-door driveway, where two verdant hedges flank the zebra, peeking out from between the green leaves. 

The best view of this piece, according to Stephanie, from just beyond the next-door driveway, where two verdant hedges flank the zebra, peeking out from between the green leaves. Photo by Sydney Vuong, 2025.