![\"Artist](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thenewsherald.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NHS-L-APart-Haverland.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1\")
\u201cThis is about more than murals,\u201d said Ben Hughes, director of the Allen Park Downtown Development Authority. \u201cIt\u2019s about energy, pride, and creating reasons for people to come downtown, explore, and stay awhile.\u201d<\/p>\n
Building on a breakout year<\/h4>\n
The expanded investment follows the success of the inaugural Paint the Park program in 2025, when eight large-scale murals were installed throughout downtown with a $150,000 allocation from the DDA\u2019s annual budget.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would say it exceeded all of our optimistic expectations,\u201d Hughes said. \u201cIt generated massive social media interest and brought people into the city who were making special trips just to see the murals.\u201d<\/p>\n
Visitors often turned those trips into destination outings, walking the downtown, dining at local restaurants, and shopping at small businesses. According to Hughes, the walkable layout of Allen Park made the murals feel like a self-guided art tour.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt forced people to explore,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd that translated into real economic activity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Encouraged by that response, the DDA opted to expand the program rather than treat it as a one-time initiative. In January, the board approved a two-year contract totaling $550,000 ($275,000 annually for 2026 and 2027) to bring back The Mural People and broaden the scope of programming.<\/p>\n Chief creative officer Michelle Tanguay of The Mural People, who oversees the Paint the Park program, said the expansion allows Allen Park to move into more immersive and interactive experiences.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not just painting walls,\u201d Tanguay said. \u201cWe\u2019re creating what we call \u2018living murals.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n One of the new signature elements will be nighttime light activations, developed in collaboration with projection artist Gabriel Hall. Using digital projection and animation, Hall\u2019s work will transform completed murals into illuminated, moving works of art.<\/p>\n \u201cHe projects videos onto the murals, and it makes them come to life,\u201d Tanguay said. \u201cIt\u2019s a beautiful process.\u201d<\/p>\n These light shows will be staged twice annually, once during the summer festival and once as part of a winter light celebration, creating year-round reasons for residents and visitors to engage with downtown.<\/p>\n The centerpiece of the 2026 season will be a week-long public art festival scheduled for Aug. 16\u201323, with mural painting taking place throughout the week and major public events planned for Aug. 22-23.<\/p>\n During that period, visitors will be able to watch artists work in real time, attend demonstrations, and experience evening light installations. The weekend will also feature a curated art fair, which organizers hope will attract more than 100 vendors.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re aiming for something similar to an ArtPrize-style experience,\u201d Tanguay said. \u201cWe want art in businesses, artwork in windows, and opportunities for artists to earn recognition and prizes.\u201d<\/p>\n Allen Park Public Schools will also participate, organizing a student chalk art competition during the festival.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a huge production,\u201d Tanguay said. \u201cBut it\u2019s also about involving the whole community.\u201d<\/p>\n With planning underway, organizers have launched their 2026 call for mural artists and art fair vendors.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want a strong mix,\u201d Hughes said. \u201cLocal, regional, and even international artists.\u201d<\/p>\n Last year\u2019s program included artists from across Michigan and beyond. Hughes expects that diversity to continue, noting that friendly competition often pushes artists to deliver their best work.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you put talented artists together, they inspire each other,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s how you end up with standout pieces.\u201d<\/p>\n Applications and guidelines are available at paintthepark.com\/2026-call-for-murals<\/a>.<\/p>\n For Tanguay, the project represents more than a series of events; it\u2019s about reshaping how people see Allen Park.<\/p>\n After years working on large-scale mural projects in Detroit\u2019s Eastern Market and other communities, she first became involved Downriver through projects in Trenton.<\/p>\n \u201cI had never really been Downriver before,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd I fell in love with it.\u201d<\/p>\n When she first visited Allen Park, Tanguay immediately recognized its potential.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s walkable. There are great restaurants, great people, great stores,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s creative. But a lot of people just drive through. They don\u2019t realize what\u2019s here.\u201d<\/p>\n Public art, she believes, helps bring attention to those overlooked assets.<\/p>\n \u201cIt puts a spotlight on the city,\u201d she said. \u201cIt tells people, \u2018There\u2019s something happening here.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Hughes agrees, describing Allen Park as a \u201chidden gem\u201d in Metro Detroit.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re known as the home of the Detroit Lions. We have excellent schools and strong neighborhoods,\u201d he said. \u201cBut this investment shows we\u2019re also committed to culture and creativity.\u201d<\/p>\n Beyond aesthetics, DDA leaders see public art as a tool for long-term economic development.<\/p>\n The 2025 mural rollout sparked increased foot traffic and business activity. Hughes expects the expanded program to amplify that effect.<\/p>\n \u201cIt creates optimism,\u201d he said. \u201cIt shows residents and business owners that the city is investing in its future.\u201d<\/p>\n Tanguay points to the transformation she witnessed in Eastern Market as evidence of what sustained art investment can accomplish.<\/p>\n \u201cMurals changed that neighborhood,\u201d she said. \u201cThey helped turn it into a destination.\u201d<\/p>\n While she is mindful of issues such as rising rents and displacement, she believes Allen Park is at a stage where thoughtful growth can benefit both residents and businesses.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s so much potential here,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd people are ready for something to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n With murals, light installations, festivals, and vendor programs on the horizon, Allen Park\u2019s public art initiative is entering a new phase\u2014one that blends creative expression with economic strategy.<\/p>\n Hughes said the overwhelming public support for the first round of murals gave the DDA confidence to expand.<\/p>\n \u201cWe heard residents, visitors, and business owners,\u201d he said. \u201cThey wanted more. So we\u2019re bringing it back and doing it even better.\u201d<\/p>\n For artists, vendors, and creatives, now is the time to get involved.<\/p>\n Applications for mural artists and art fair participants are currently open at paintthepark.com\/2026-call-for-murals<\/a>.<\/p>\n More information about The Mural People and their regional projects is available at themuralpeople.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Allen Park Downtown Development Authority approved a $550,000 investment in public art and creative programming over the next two years<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":1404469,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[20,21,33],"tags":[],"feature":[],"location":[202,85,198],"type-of-work":[],"coauthors":[7613],"class_list":["post-1404308","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-headlines","category-local-news","category-things-to-do","location-allen-park","location-michigan","location-wayne-county"],"post_status":"","edit_last":0,"edit_lock":0,"highlights":"","original_byline":"","original_canonical":"","original_category":"","original_email":"","original_id":0,"original_pubdate":"","original_source":"","primary_section":"","primary_tag":0,"print_workflow_body":{"deck_headline":"ALLEN PARK","print_title":"Allen Park DDA makes a visual statement","print_subheadline":"Launches call for artists to bolster major mural and festival expansion","print_planned_ready":"","print_pub_date":"","print_slug":"NHS-L-APart0208","print_budget_line":"","print_excerpt":"The Allen Park Downtown Development Authority approved a $550,000 investment in public art and creative programming over the next two years","print_notes":"","photo_limits":"Photo limits are: 1 featured image, 5 featured gallery images, 5 embedded gallery images and 5 in-article embedded images. Articles that exceed these limits will not export. Please adjust images to reflect these limits.","print_featured_gallery_richtext":"","print_inline_galleries_richtext":"","print_inline_images_richtext":" [related_articles location=\"left\" show_article_date=\"false\" article_type=\"automatic-primary-tag\"]<\/p>[caption id=\"attachment_1404477\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1172\"] Allen Park is doubling down on creativity.<\/p> In a unanimous vote earlier this year, the Allen Park Downtown Development Authority approved a $550,000 investment in public art and creative programming over the next two years. It\u2019s an ambitious commitment designed to strengthen the city\u2019s downtown, support local businesses and position Allen Park as a growing arts destination in Metro Detroit.<\/p> The funding expands the city\u2019s successful Paint the Park mural initiative and adds new elements, including light art activations, a large curated art fair, and a winter arts festival. At the center of the effort is a new call for mural artists and vendors, now open for the 2026 season.<\/p> Artists and creatives interested in participating can find full details at paintthepark.com\/2026-call-for-murals<\/a>.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> \u201cThis is about more than murals,\u201d said Ben Hughes, director of the Allen Park Downtown Development Authority. \u201cIt\u2019s about energy, pride, and creating reasons for people to come downtown, explore, and stay awhile.\u201d<\/p> The expanded investment follows the success of the inaugural Paint the Park program in 2025, when eight large-scale murals were installed throughout downtown with a $150,000 allocation from the DDA\u2019s annual budget.<\/p> \u201cI would say it exceeded all of our optimistic expectations,\u201d Hughes said. \u201cIt generated massive social media interest and brought people into the city who were making special trips just to see the murals.\u201d<\/p> Visitors often turned those trips into destination outings, walking the downtown, dining at local restaurants, and shopping at small businesses. According to Hughes, the walkable layout of Allen Park made the murals feel like a self-guided art tour.<\/p> \u201cIt forced people to explore,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd that translated into real economic activity.\u201d<\/p> Encouraged by that response, the DDA opted to expand the program rather than treat it as a one-time initiative. In January, the board approved a two-year contract totaling $550,000 ($275,000 annually for 2026 and 2027) to bring back The Mural People and broaden the scope of programming.<\/p> Chief creative officer Michelle Tanguay of The Mural People, who oversees the Paint the Park program, said the expansion allows Allen Park to move into more immersive and interactive experiences.<\/p> \u201cWe\u2019re not just painting walls,\u201d Tanguay said. \u201cWe\u2019re creating what we call \u2018living murals.\u2019\u201d<\/p> One of the new signature elements will be nighttime light activations, developed in collaboration with projection artist Gabriel Hall. Using digital projection and animation, Hall\u2019s work will transform completed murals into illuminated, moving works of art.<\/p> \u201cHe projects videos onto the murals, and it makes them come to life,\u201d Tanguay said. \u201cIt\u2019s a beautiful process.\u201d<\/p> These light shows will be staged twice annually, once during the summer festival and once as part of a winter light celebration, creating year-round reasons for residents and visitors to engage with downtown.<\/p> The centerpiece of the 2026 season will be a week-long public art festival scheduled for Aug. 16\u201323, with mural painting taking place throughout the week and major public events planned for Aug. 22-23.<\/p> During that period, visitors will be able to watch artists work in real time, attend demonstrations, and experience evening light installations. The weekend will also feature a curated art fair, which organizers hope will attract more than 100 vendors.<\/p> \u201cWe\u2019re aiming for something similar to an ArtPrize-style experience,\u201d Tanguay said. \u201cWe want art in businesses, artwork in windows, and opportunities for artists to earn recognition and prizes.\u201d<\/p> Allen Park Public Schools will also participate, organizing a student chalk art competition during the festival.<\/p> \u201cIt\u2019s a huge production,\u201d Tanguay said. \u201cBut it\u2019s also about involving the whole community.\u201d<\/p> With planning underway, organizers have launched their 2026 call for mural artists and art fair vendors.<\/p> \u201cWe want a strong mix,\u201d Hughes said. \u201cLocal, regional, and even international artists.\u201d<\/p> Last year\u2019s program included artists from across Michigan and beyond. Hughes expects that diversity to continue, noting that friendly competition often pushes artists to deliver their best work.<\/p> \u201cWhen you put talented artists together, they inspire each other,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s how you end up with standout pieces.\u201d<\/p> Applications and guidelines are available at paintthepark.com\/2026-call-for-murals<\/a>.<\/p> For Tanguay, the project represents more than a series of events; it\u2019s about reshaping how people see Allen Park.<\/p> After years working on large-scale mural projects in Detroit\u2019s Eastern Market and other communities, she first became involved Downriver through projects in Trenton.<\/p> \u201cI had never really been Downriver before,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd I fell in love with it.\u201d<\/p> When she first visited Allen Park, Tanguay immediately recognized its potential.<\/p> \u201cIt\u2019s walkable. There are great restaurants, great people, great stores,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s creative. But a lot of people just drive through. They don\u2019t realize what\u2019s here.\u201d<\/p> Public art, she believes, helps bring attention to those overlooked assets.<\/p> \u201cIt puts a spotlight on the city,\u201d she said. \u201cIt tells people, \u2018There\u2019s something happening here.\u2019\u201d<\/p> Hughes agrees, describing Allen Park as a \u201chidden gem\u201d in Metro Detroit.<\/p> \u201cWe\u2019re known as the home of the Detroit Lions. We have excellent schools and strong neighborhoods,\u201d he said. \u201cBut this investment shows we\u2019re also committed to culture and creativity.\u201d<\/p> Beyond aesthetics, DDA leaders see public art as a tool for long-term economic development.<\/p> The 2025 mural rollout sparked increased foot traffic and business activity. Hughes expects the expanded program to amplify that effect.<\/p> \u201cIt creates optimism,\u201d he said. \u201cIt shows residents and business owners that the city is investing in its future.\u201d<\/p> Tanguay points to the transformation she witnessed in Eastern Market as evidence of what sustained art investment can accomplish.<\/p> \u201cMurals changed that neighborhood,\u201d she said. \u201cThey helped turn it into a destination.\u201d<\/p> While she is mindful of issues such as rising rents and displacement, she believes Allen Park is at a stage where thoughtful growth can benefit both residents and businesses.<\/p> \u201cThere\u2019s so much potential here,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd people are ready for something to happen.\u201d<\/p> With murals, light installations, festivals, and vendor programs on the horizon, Allen Park\u2019s public art initiative is entering a new phase\u2014one that blends creative expression with economic strategy.<\/p> Hughes said the overwhelming public support for the first round of murals gave the DDA confidence to expand.<\/p> \u201cWe heard residents, visitors, and business owners,\u201d he said. \u201cThey wanted more. So we\u2019re bringing it back and doing it even better.\u201d<\/p> For artists, vendors, and creatives, now is the time to get involved.<\/p> Applications for mural artists and art fair participants are currently open at paintthepark.com\/2026-call-for-murals<\/a>.<\/p>![\"MICHELLE](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thenewsherald.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NHS-L-APartTanguay.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1\")
A ‘Living Murals’ vision<\/h4>\n
August Festival and Art Fair<\/h4>\n
Open call for artists and vendors<\/h4>\n
Shaping Allen Park\u2019s identity<\/h4>\n
Economic and community impact<\/h4>\n
Looking ahead<\/h4>\n
Artist Naomi Haverland is seated in front of a color mural last fall. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)[\/caption][caption id=\"\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"197\"] MICHELLE TANGUAY (Submitted photo)[\/caption]","print_content":"Building on a breakout year<\/h4>
A 'Living Murals' vision<\/h4>
August Festival and Art Fair<\/h4>
Open call for artists and vendors<\/h4>
Shaping Allen Park\u2019s identity<\/h4>
Economic and community impact<\/h4>
Looking ahead<\/h4>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.thenewsherald.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NHS-L-APart-Hughes.jpg\")
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