Heidlberg Project

Description: The Heidelberg Project is an art project in the McDougall Hunt neighborhood in eastern Detroit. It was created in 1986 by the artist Tyree Guyton, who was supported by his wife Karen and his grandfather Sam Mackey. The Heidelberg Project is in part a political protest, as the neighborhood where Tyree Guyton grew up began to deteriorate after the 1967 riots. Guyton described how he returned to Heidelberg Street after his military service and was astonished to find that the area looked as if a bomb had gone off. Initially, the project consisted of him painting a row of houses on Heidelberg Street in Detroit with colorful dots and attaching salvaged items to the houses. It was an ever-evolving work that transformed an inner-city neighborhood, where people were afraid to walk even during the day, into a neighborhood that neighbors were proud of and where many visitors were welcome. Although the area was characterized by a high level of decay and poverty, the developing artwork grew, and Tyree Guyton worked daily with the children of the neighborhood on the Heidelberg Project. He and director Jenenne Whitfield gave talks and workshops around the country on the project. Their main goal was to develop the Heidelberg Project into the city's first indoor and outdoor museum, which also includes an artist colony, creative arts center, community garden, amphitheater and more. In 2005, the Heidelberg Project was awarded the silver medal of the Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence.

Our rating: This project is certainly being done an injustice, but when we were there, it looked more like a huge garbage dump. However, you can see from various social media channels that there is still a lot going on here. To get a better context and access to the project, it might therefore be a good idea to come here during an event. Anyone who likes unusual and rather quirky places will definitely love this place.