Muralist Beau Stanton (right) stands by his mural on Haddix Electric as Kelly Knight (left, on lift) paints Sept. 12 during the Allen Park Downtown Development Authority’s Paint the Park project.
By SUE SUCHYTA
Sunday Times Newspapers
ALLEN PARK – Eight new murals sponsored by the Downtown Development Authority highlighted the city’s annual Made in Michigan Festival Sept. 12 along Allen Road.
Of the new murals produced by the Mural People, three are north and five south of Southfield Road. A ninth mural, sponsored by the city, is located on the wall bordering the park where the Allen Park Theater once stood.
The three murals north of Southfield Road are: a candy inspired dream on Nuts Now by artist Naomi Haverland, a tribute to the 1920s electric train arches on Haddix Electric by artist Beau Stanton, and a Detroit Lions-inspired mural by artist Kevin Burdick on Alexander’s Dry Cleaning.
The five murals south of Southfield Road are: Kitsune Jolene’s blooms and a butterfly on Tuccini Orthodontic Lab, more flowers climbing up Prestige Banquet Hall under the brushstrokes of the artist known as Ouizi, a monochromatic memory of city landmarks created by Kelly Golden on the northwest wall of Metropolitan Furniture, stylized eye imagery by artist Rick Malt on Comix Oasis, and a bright red Ford Mustang by artist Zach Curtis on the Nexgen Insurance Agency.
In addition, the mural on the wall bordering the park, by Ivan Montoya, shows an idyllic suburban neighborhood.
The DDA-sponsored mural project is part of its goal to transform downtown by enhancing its vibrancy, beauty and economic vitality by investing in infrastructure, events and public art.
Attendees enjoy Allen Park’s Made in Michigan Festival Sept. 12 and discover the murals created as part of the Allen Park Downtown Development Authority’s Paint the Park project.
Paint the Park, which began Sept. 1, was timed to allow Made in Michigan Festival attendees to see some of the murals being completed as they strolled the street.
California native and current Brooklyn-based artist Stanton said his mural captures the elegant structures of Henry Ford’s 1920s electric locomotive experiment.
“I guess they are over 100 years old now, and a lot of them are still standing,” he said. “They are just really beautifully designed structurally, and they’re very cool because they almost frame the landscape.”
Stanton said his murals often contemporize historical images with his signature vibrant visual style.
“This geometric background is very colorful, so it’s kind of emanating through where these arches are going within the perspective,” he said. “And, so, it’s turned out to be a really fun subject.”
A more organic themed mural, created by Belgian artist Jolene on a wall of Tuccini Orthodontic Lab, is a tribute to the owner’s father, who was an avid gardener.
She said she created an image of a person watering flowers, and as one’s gaze moves down the wall, there is a girl wearing the same flowers, which shows how a gardener will water the things they love.
Jolene said she has been “spoiled rotten” by the Tuccini family all week.
“I have seen their family dynamic and how close they are, so it has been an honor to make something for them,” she said. “It’s just really heartwarming.”
For more information about the Paint the Park mural project, go to PaintThePark.com.
Blooms and a butterfly fill Tuccini Orthodontic Lab under the brush of artist Kitsune Jolene Sept. 12 during the Allen Park Downtown Development Authority’s Paint the Park project.
Artist Ouizi’s flower-inspired mural blooms up the side of the Prestige Banquet Hall Sept. 12 during the Allen Park Downtown Development Authority’s Paint the Park project.
Artist Naomi Haverland’s mural on Nuts Now provides a colorful candy splash Sept. 12 during the Allen Park Downtown Development Authority’s Paint the Park project.
Artist Kelly Golden’s monochrome images of city landmarks fill the back wall of Metropolitan Furniture Sept. 12 during the Allen Park Downtown Development Authority’s Paint the Park project.
Artist Ivan Montoya’s city-sponsored mural rises near the site of the former Allen Park Theater Sept. 12 during the Allen Park Downtown Development Authority’s Paint the Park project.
Above and below, attendees enjoy Allen Park’s Made in Michigan Festival Sept. 12 and discover the murals created as part of the Allen Park Downtown Development Authority’s Paint the Park project.
Attendees enjoy Allen Park’s Made in Michigan Festival Sept. 12 and discover the murals created as part of the Allen Park Downtown Development Authority’s Paint the Park project.