Heidelberg Project



The Heidelberg Project was founded in Detroit, Michigan in 1986 by a local artist named Tyree Guyton. It is located in Detroit, Michigan on the east side, in a neighborhood known as McDougall-Hunt, which has a population of 1,797. Tyree Guyton was raised on Heidelberg Street, which is the street where the project is located, and wanted to revitalize the neighborhood he grew up in after the houses were abandoned, forgotten, and drug infested. He began using every day discarded items and created a two-block area full of color and symbolism, which became known as the Cultural Village. His goal was to improve the under-resourced and blighted Detroit community as well as provide hope and inspiration through art, education, and hands-on programs. "Eventually, the Heidelberg Project attracted enough attention to drive the drug dealers out of the area as thousands of people started to drive by the strange new street gallery".

The McDougall-Hunt neighborhood first encountered problems during the 1967 riots of Detroit. It began when police raided a party being thrown for two returning Vietnam veterans in a predominantly black neighborhood. Officers attempted to arrest all 82 people inside and riots ensued. Anyone who could afford to flee did and the neighborhood never recovered. Afterwards, it was characterized by run-down houses, vacant lots, and squatters. Since the 1960's, the Heidelberg Street area has lost 71% of its housing. Only 8 houses remained on the street, which previously had 60. There was gang activity, prostitution, and drug-dealing in the abandoned houses. This neighborhood had a 53% higher instance of violent crime (rape, murder, robbery, assault) than the Detroit average. People living in the neighborhood were afraid to walk down the street, even in daylight. The neighborhood was predominantly African-American with little education. Most residents had a high school diploma or GED or less. The median household income was $21,456 and 32.4% of residents were living below the poverty level(United States Census Bureau). The first home that Guyton transformed was an abandoned house that was being used as a crack house. However, the Heidelberg Project has improved the neighborhood. "As care and attention were focused on these structures, drugs and prostitution declined...They realized that when a house was decorated, crack users and prostitutes would abandon it"(The Heidelberg Project). In its 26 years of existence, no serious crimes have been reported on Heidelberg Street (The Heidelberg Project).

The Heidelberg Project has been recognized and supported nationally and internationally(The Heidelberg Project). It has won many awards over the last 26 years of its existence; The Spirit of Detroit Award (1989), Environmental Research and Design Award (2004), Silver Medal Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence (2005), Eric Hoffer Award (2007), Pollack Krasner Award (2007), Joyce Award (2007), and one of 20 Kresge Fellowship Awards (2009). It has also been featured in many magazines including People, Newsweek, Essence, and Time. In 1998, the Heidelberg Project was recognized as the third most visited cultural tourist site in Detroit as well.

When Tyree Guyton began the Heidelberg Project his grandfather and mentor, Sam Mackey, encouraged and motivated him. Guyton had just returned from the Army and was upset to find his childhood neighborhood in shambles. He had already lost 3 brothers to the streets and his grandfather, who was also an artist, encouraged him to make a change with a paintbrush instead of a weapon. He did not have any money so he used recycled materials, discarded trash, and objects salvaged from the streets of Detroit to reclaim his neighborhood. The city technically owned the abandoned houses but wasn't doing anything with them. Since then, money has been raised through fundraisers, donations, and grants like the $47,500 grant from the City of Detroit Cultural Affairs Department for a cafe and a Welcoming Center*****. Some awards also included monetary gifts which helped the Heidelberg Project evolve.

Though the Heidelberg Project has greatly contributed to its community's vibrancy, it has not been easy. There has been political opposition towards the project. The project sight has been partly demolished by the City of Detroit on two occasions when the mayor declared it an eyesore and claimed that it was a haven for rats and posed a fire and safety hazard. After the first demolition in November of 1991, Guyton rebuilt what was torn down. Then in 1998, the project was threatened with a second demolition by the City of Detroit. The Heidelberg Project legal team filed for and received a restraining order against the City of Detroit. A year later, in 1999, the restraining order was lifted and within one hour the city began tearing down part of the Heidelberg Project. Today, however, it is a protected landmark. Guyton filed a lawsuit against the City of Detroit after the second demolition and Wayne County Circuit ruled that the Heidelberg Project was protected under the 1st Amendment.

The Heidelberg Project has been evolving since its start in1986, and is continuing to evolve. Guyton is always adding new projects or pieces of art. It has grown and developed many new programs including many programs for children.

Ace2 (Art, Community, and Environmental Education) is a program that makes up for the lack of art education in public schools. The program includes a school presentation, hands-on workshop, an onsite field trip, and a visit with Tyree Guyton at his workshop. They also provide an education plan which includes lesson plans, activities, and potential projects.

The Heidelberg Project also provides art education classes and hands-on workshops for children and their families. The purpose of these programs are to help build local children’s' self-esteem and provide a sense of pride in their community.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">Another program is the Emerging Artist Program. This helps to open new doors for emerging artists that have not had their work showcased formally. There are four showcases per year which also help to advance the art movement in Detroit.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">Young Adults of Heidelberg (YAH) is another program that has been developed to engage young adults ages 18 to 35 to become leaders in their community. Through this program, young adults also develop the professional skills needed to advance their career in Detroit's art industry.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">Cultural Village is the biggest and original project of the Heidelberg Project. It combines art, education, and culture with commercial green development. It reconstructs the neighborhood to enhance social and ecological sustainability. The goal is to give people a voice and let them express themselves through art.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">Tyree Guyton and his executive director, Jenenne Whitfield, try to reach as many people as possible by giving lectures around the country. They speak about art, the Heidelberg Project, community development, and emerging artists to inspire others to improve their communities as well.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">The Heidelberg Project has teamed up with professors and students from Harvard (Heidelberg at Harvard), the University of Michigan, the University of Detroit Mercy, and Wayne State University to engage it's community in activities, programming, and maintenance of the project. These partners assist in the expansion of the Cultural Village as well.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">Future plans for the Heidelberg Project are already in the works. The goal is to expand their presence in the McDougall-Hunt neighborhood. The current offices for the project are located a few miles away in midtown. The plan is to build a cultural center on Heidelberg Street which will hold offices, galleries, artist work spaces, and a children's center. It will also have a visitor's center with a 100 car parking lot. $300,000 in grants have been acquired for the pre-construction phase. At this point, Guyton is trying to raise more money for the actual construction phase.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">The general reaction from the public has changed over time. Initially some did not like it. Neighbors thought that visitors were poking fun at them. Now, they consider the Heidelberg Project as an asset to their community. They now have a sense of community pride and a reason to go for a walk or to take the children outside. One resident of Heidelberg Street said, "I used to call it junk, now I travel without leaving my front porch" The community has come together as one to show their support. "When Guyton marked a house with his art, the community began to protect it-to this day not one of Guyton's works has ever been vandalized"

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"TimesNewRoman","serif"">Communities in the Upstate can benefit greatly from the Heidelberg Project. Some neighborhoods lack pride and faith in their community. There are many dilapidated houses that sit vacant. The neighborhoods are not good and the vacant houses are used for squatting or drugs. This can lead to violent crime. By using salvaged objects from around the Upstate and involving the people of the neighborhood, these houses can be turned into art and the drugs and crime can be forced out. This type of project virtually costs nothing to begin or continue. Utilizing local artists and volunteers will help as well. This is a cheap, easy way to bring life and community vibrancy back to a neighborhood.