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The Michigan Daily Weeend Magazine - Thursday, October 1, 1998-95
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In what many people consider trash, Detroit artist Tyree Guyton finds beauty. For
more than 12 years, Guyton has transformed Heidelberg Street into a work of art with only
his paint brush and found objects such as broken toys and old household items. The
Project was initiated not only to promote a positive image for
the city of Detroit, but also to educate the community about
the power of creativity and awareness to heal and unify.
The street is lined with Guyton's colorful sculptures and
paintings; thousands of shoes line the sidewalk, bicycles,
clocks and dolls swirl through the trees, numbers, polka-
dots and images from the media and popular culture
adorn the houses, and Guyton's symbolic face paintings
smile from car hoods and surfaces everywhere. The con-
troversial Project embodies a dynamic objective, redefin-
ing ideas of community, breaking boundaries and chal-
lenging conventional practices in the art world. The
Project is currently the third most visited tourist attraction
in Detroit. Still, three of the Heidelberg houses were
demolished in 1991, destroying more than $250,000 of
Guyton's studio artwork. At the Wayne County Circuit Court
House tomorrow at 2 p.m., the city of Detroit will make its
final verdict whether to tear down the project for good, or allow
the art and the spirit to continue on. If the Heidelberg is destroyed, Guyton has big plans
for his next project. "It's time for a revolution," he says. An exhibition of Guyton's recent
works is currently on display at the new C-Pop Gallery, located at 1529 Broadway Ave. in
Detroit. For more information about the .Heidelberg project, call (313) 537-8037 or visit the
Website at www.heidelbergorg