"Hey, are you gonna hit up a Kid Rock concert after you drive down 8 Mile looking for Eminem's old house?" is usually the snarky response I get when telling people I'm going back home to Detroit, Michigan. Cool; I get it. You have an ear for country rap and enjoy watching VH1 "Movies That Rock" late at night. While Detroit may get a bad rap from outsiders due to its economic disadvantages and numerous "Most Dangerous City in America" titles, it's also a city of hidden beauty and a booming street art scene. Artist Tyree Guyton’s Heidelberg Project, located in the McDougall-Hunt neighborhood, shows that innocence and art is all but lost in the D.
Walking through the neighborhood calls to mind both favorite childhood toys and the first time you ever watched Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. It’s cheerful and trippy. One house is decked out with enough Mickey Mouse stuffed animals to complete a Jeremy Scott collection, while old shoes line the colorfully painted sidewalks. Piles of old baby dolls give the street a horror movie vibe, which is quickly forgotten with one glance at the house splattered with polka dots. While the neighborhood has become a hot spot for hip photo shoots (okay, I'm obviously guilty), the real heart of the project still rings true: Tyree Guyton created the outdoor art project in 1986 to bring hope and pride to a neighborhood ruled by crime. The city of Detroit still has its trials and tribulations, but walking through the neighborhood brings a sense of inspiration and pride to a city that is overlooked when it comes to street art. The Heidelberg Project proves that there’s nothing wrong with stuffed animals hanging around the hood.
All photos by Julia Williams
HEIDELBERG PROJECT
3600 Heidelberg St.
Detroit, MI 48207
MAP
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Chloe
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Walking through the neighborhood calls to mind both favorite childhood toys and the first time you ever watched Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. It’s cheerful and trippy. One house is decked out with enough Mickey Mouse stuffed animals to complete a Jeremy Scott collection, while old shoes line the colorfully painted sidewalks. Piles of old baby dolls give the street a horror movie vibe, which is quickly forgotten with one glance at the house splattered with polka dots. While the neighborhood has become a hot spot for hip photo shoots (okay, I'm obviously guilty), the real heart of the project still rings true: Tyree Guyton created the outdoor art project in 1986 to bring hope and pride to a neighborhood ruled by crime. The city of Detroit still has its trials and tribulations, but walking through the neighborhood brings a sense of inspiration and pride to a city that is overlooked when it comes to street art. The Heidelberg Project proves that there’s nothing wrong with stuffed animals hanging around the hood.
All photos by Julia Williams
HEIDELBERG PROJECT
3600 Heidelberg St.
Detroit, MI 48207
MAP
Chloe
