By SheelaR
I’m deeply saddened by the attacks on the Heidelberg Project in Detroit. Someone has been deliberately setting fires in an attempt to destroy the massive project. The Heidelberg Project on Detroit’s east side has been around for nearly as long as I’ve been alive. The project is 27 years old and enjoys worldwide recognition. If you’ve never seen it in real time or pictures, it is a site for the eyes. You can’t see it once and take in all that is amazing about it. Every time a fire is set, it’s another devastating hit to one Detroit’s most well known artistic landmarks. It is a project and a neighborhood in peril.
Tyree Guyton is the founder and primary artist for the project. Mr. Guyton’s vision was to transform blight into art. Some would argue that he’s turned blight into an eyesore, but not for those of us who have a profound appreciation for all things artistic. He is an inspirational visionary. The Heidelberg Project was born out of profound love for his city. The Heidelberg Project welcomes over around 300,000 visitors a year. Its economic impact is real and palpable.
It makes no sense as to why someone would seek to destroy one of the few things in Detroit that enjoys positive attention on an international level. Beauty is subjective, and it is understandable if someone finds it offensive. However, it is not understandable as to why someone’s personal feelings about the project would trump its positive impact on the community. I hope through due diligence, the Detroit Police Department will apprehend this arsonist quickly. Your selfish motives for this attack on Mr. Guyton’s dream, is an attack on the spirit of a community that is struggling to rise from the ashes, literally and figuratively.
For those of us who appreciate the beauty of the Heidelberg Project, we want to see Mr. Guyton press on and rebuild. After 27 years, I think it is safe to say, your community supports you.
http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20111023/FREE/310239974/art-by-numbers
“A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul.” ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Thoughts of a Wordinary Girl 