Artists in Allen Park took to the streets Monday to launch the Paint the Park project.

Those artists included Naomi Haverland, who was intent on leaving her unique mark in the downtown area.

"This has been like a month in the making, so it's exciting to finally be putting down some color," said Haverland.

Haverland is one of nearly a dozen artists who are sharing their talents through Paint the Park, a new citywide mural festival that focuses on turning blank walls into a walkable outdoor gallery.

"Every painting tells the history or tells a story about a community member, and we really love touching on that, because it brings the whole community together to celebrate what makes that city unique," said Michelle Tanguay.

Michelle Tanguay runs The Mural People, an organization that links artists with cities and businesses to foster cultural growth.

"What we really specialize in is not just art on walls. We really focus on the stories of the communities that we work in," said Tanguay.

In her search for open spaces, she happened to meet Alex Alexander, the owner of Alexander's Cleaners on Allen Road.

Alexander says getting to show his love for the Detroit Lions through a one-of-a-kind design made the partnership a no brainer.

"I just wanted to do something special and show the team how thankful we are that they're here," said Alexander.

Over the next two weeks, local and international artists will create and perfect their masterpieces before their grand unveiling during the Made in Michigan Festival.

"When you connect these artists that are celebrities in their own name with these business owners, it's a recipe for a wonderful thing to occur," said Tanguay.

If you want to see the work for yourself, the festival runs until September 13.