Denali and Jonathan: Heidelberg Project Exhibition

Nico and Jianmarco wrote a report on our first Detroit Exhibition, which they also filmed.

On Friday, March 28, Denali and Jonathan did their Exhibition on an activist art installation in Detroit called the Heidelberg Project. They gave their Exhibition at Heidelberg's studio and office space just off Woodward Avenue. Margaret Grace, the Project's Education Coordinator, was also there.

First off, they told us about the organization. They explained how the Project's creator, Tyree Guyton, had seen how the neighborhood was going downhill, and how he had decided to empower the neighborhood, and later Detroit, through art. By painting on buildings and using what would otherwise be junk to make art, he created an international phenomenon.

At Margaret's suggestion, we are considering ways to make interactive art from tires rescued from a tire graveyard off Mt. Elliott Street near the installation. Jonathan suggested making a colorful playground. Aristea had suggested earlier that we bring some tires back to SK and collect some spare seedlings from Earthworks for a friendship garden.

Jonathan and Denali then gave us objects from a random collection of stuff and invited us to make art, in the spirit of Mr. Guyton's work on the east side of the city. It was a fun and thought-provoking exercise. We liked the spirit necklace that Margaret and Trent made and the war hamsters created by Ryan and Saul.