Drivers going by Lions Park in Mission might notice something new.

Artist Gavino Santillan turned an irrigation pipe into a work of art.

"They're just standing, they're stagnant, nothing's happening, they're just plain. So why not beautify it? Why not make it pop up? Making it stand up for something, bring the cultura back into the neighborhoods," Santillan said.

Santillan says he was inspired by similar art in other cities on walls and irrigation pipes. A few months ago, he brought the idea and vision to the Mission City Council.

"So I took them some samples and they liked my work and this is where we started and this is the first one," Santillan said.

The city plans to give around 30 other irrigation pipes around Mission a similar facelift, while maintaining their historical value.

"They used to be part of the orchards when they used to be watered back, back before the city was developed," Mission Sanitation Director Roel Mendiola said. "They're a significant monument to the city. Yes, I know they're white and they're just pipes, but they used to bring a lot of water to these areas."

Mendiola says businesses and city agencies with irrigation pipes can submit their ideas. Private property owners can also take part.

"If the owner doesn't give us permission, we will have to leave it kind of the way it is," Mendiola said.

Keep Mission Beautiful is the non-profit organization in charge of the project. Chairman Mario Cantu says every painting on the irrigation pipes is meant to tell a story.

"Essentially, what it is, is we want to pinpoint every single irrigation pipe, its mural, the artist, highlighting the artist and the meaning behind it and maybe even in the future, prove it by adding a QR code that tells the story behind it," Cantu said.

Long term, Keep Mission Beautiful hopes to get money to pay participating artists.

"The more artists that we get, possibly, the shorter the time frame, but ultimately it comes down to is, we want them to capture that essence of the city of Mission," Cantu said.

Mission donated the painting supplies to Santillan and he's donating his time. He has already started work on his second irrigation pipe, also in Lions Park.

"It's just the foundation before I go off, creative on it and do all the designs, the fine details," Santillan said.

He hopes his art inspires everyone, young and old, to tap into their inner artist.

"And that's what art is. It brings life, it brings you creativity, it brings you imagination," Santillan said.

Beautifying Mission, one stroke at a time.

Watch the video above for the full story.