Heidelberg Project, Michigan

The Heidelberg Project is an activist art environment in residential urban Detroit, started in 1986 by Tyree Guyton, who lived at the site, and began painting colorful patterns on abandoned houses along his street. Over the years he painted all kinds of things, made sculptures, colorful signs, and worked with kids, relatives, and friends to expand the creative installation over a few blocks along the street. Though the city periodically demolished some projects, claiming they were trash, and some of the houses were burned down, he kept at it. Now more than thirty years later, the project continues, in various ways, including as a community center, mostly embraced by the City, and supported by entities that include the Ford Foundation.