Heidelberg Project facts for kids
The Heidelberg Project is a super cool outdoor art project in a neighborhood called McDougall-Hunt in Detroit. It's on the east side of the city. An artist named Tyree Guyton started it in 1986. His wife, Karen, and his grandpa, Sam Mackey (everyone called him "Grandpa Sam"), helped him.
The Heidelberg Project is also a way for Tyree Guyton to show how he felt about his neighborhood. After some difficult times in 1967, his childhood area started to look really run down. When Guyton came back from the Army, he was shocked. He said it looked like "a bomb went off."
At first, Tyree Guyton painted houses on Heidelberg Street with bright, colorful dots. He also attached old, found items to the houses. This art project was always changing. It helped turn a tough neighborhood, where people were scared to walk, into a place where neighbors felt proud. Lots of visitors came and felt welcome. Even though the area had many empty lots and poverty, the art grew. Tyree Guyton worked on the project every day with the kids from the block. He and the project's director, Jenenne Whitfield, gave talks and workshops all over the country. Their main dream was to make the Heidelberg Project into Detroit's first indoor and outdoor museum. They hoped it would have a place for artists, a creative art center, a community garden, and even an outdoor stage. In 2005, the Heidelberg Project won a special award called the Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence silver medal.
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Challenges and Changes
The city government of Detroit has taken down some of Tyree Guyton's art pieces over the years. The first time was in 1989, when they removed his "The Baby Dollhouse." Then, early one morning in November 1991, city bulldozers and police showed up without warning. They gave him only fifteen minutes to save anything he wanted from another art piece before they tore it down.
Later, in February 1999, under Mayor Dennis Archer, more parts of the Heidelberg Project were removed. This included houses Guyton called "Your World," "Happy Feet," and "The Canfield House."
Fires at the Project
Starting in 2013, several houses in the Heidelberg Project caught fire. People think most of these fires were set on purpose, but no one has been arrested. Even before 2013, fires were common in the McDougall-Hunt neighborhood. About eight to ten houses were thought to have burned down each year before 2006.
Fires in 2013
On May 3, 2013, the "Obstruction of Justice" house was mostly destroyed by a fire. It started around 3:30 in the morning.
Late at night on November 11 or 12, 2013, the "House of Soul" burned completely to the ground.
Early in the morning on November 21, 2013, the "Penny House" also burned.
Early in the morning on November 28, 2013, the "War House" caught fire.
Late in the evening on December 8, 2013, the "Clock House" was burned.
Fires in 2014
Early in the morning on March 7, 2014, "The Party Animal House," also known as "The Doll House," burned down.
Early in the morning on September 18, 2014, the house called "Detroit Industrial Gallery" caught fire. An artist named Tim Burke had decorated this house with figures and signs. He had also painted it different colors.
Early in the morning on September 30, 2014, a house known as the "Birthday Cake House" burned. This house was not part of the Heidelberg Project itself. However, it was on Heidelberg Street near the project. It was decorated with painted pictures of birthday cakes.
Early in the morning on November 23, 2014, a house called the "Taxi House" burned. The fire badly damaged the back and inside of the house.
Celebrating the Art
The Heidelberg Project celebrated its 25th birthday in 2011.
People all over the world recognize the Heidelberg Project. It shows how creativity can bring hope and a bright future. Some of the houses that are still on Heidelberg Street include the "New White House" (which used to be called "Dotty Wotty") and the "Number House." The Detroit Industrial Gallery and an artist studio/home are also there. Artist Tim Burke bought and takes care of them.
The Heidelberg Project hopes to find new ways to deal with big city problems. These include cities spreading out too much and falling apart. This idea has gotten attention from around the world. The Heidelberg Project keeps growing and changing. The 20th Anniversary of the project was celebrated on August 26, 2006. It was a community festival that ended a year of special events.
Producers from MTV filmed a part of their show Made using the Heidelberg Project as a background. Famous fashion model Kate Moss visited the Heidelberg Project in June 2006. She came with photographer Bruce Webber to take pictures of Detroit for a special edition of W magazine.
In 2007, two books were written about the Heidelberg Project. Linda McLean wrote a children's book. A larger book with many pictures, called Connecting the Dots: Tyree Guyton's Heidelberg Project, was published by Wayne State University Press. In 2011, the project released its first children's book, "Magic Trash: A Story of Tyree Guyton and His Art."
In 2008, the project was one of 15 projects that showed off the United States at a big art event called the 2008 Venice Architecture Biennale.
Musician Alex Winston filmed the music video for her song "Choice Notes" at the Heidelberg Project.
The Future of the Project
In 2016, Tyree Guyton announced that the Heidelberg Project would slowly be taken apart. He called the future plan "Heidelberg 3.0." This new plan is about creating a community filled with art. Some ideas include giving parts of the art to museums. They also plan to turn the Dotty Wotty House into a museum.
Around this time, a company called Isobar announced plans to use drones. They wanted to take pictures of the Heidelberg Project to create a virtual reality experience. In 2018, Isobar released the Heidelberg Project app for Apple iPhone and Android phones.
Images for kids
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Detroit Industrial Gallery
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Cash Register
