Tyree Guyton Live at UMMA

During Jenenne Whitfield’s introduction to the Heidelberg Project and to Tyree Guyton, she stated a quote by Joseph Beuys that really stuck out to me. Beuys states, “Every human being is an artist, a freedom being, called to participate in transforming and reshaping the conditions, thinking and structures that shape and inform our lives.” This quote excites me because this is exactly what this project is trying to exemplify. The Heidelberg Project believes that everyone has a right to grow and to flourish not only as a human, but as an artist. Joseph Beuys also talks about the idea that art can shape and inform our lives. Art, as explained by Tyree Guyton, is truly a remarkable thing because it can change the world and can bring hope to a city that is in dire need of it. This is exactly what this project is doing for the city of Detroit. Although the Heidelberg project is based in a quiet neighborhood, the projects goals were to try and transform social relations through art, while still being upbeat and personal to human connections. This project has definitely attained these goals. It has also changed the perspective of people who disliked art, like Mrs. Bell. Now, these types of people are able to see art as something that can be advocated as a way of life instead of being a nuisance.

            As Tyree was explaining, art is a process, philosophy, and a lifestyle. It is not what people look at every day, yet rather art is what surrounds us. We are surrounded by art everywhere we look, whether we want to or not. Due to this reason, Tyree felt an obligation to create this project. He believed that this project was an artistic mission, not a spiritual one. Due to this artistic mission, the project has now served as a catalyst to begin the rebuilding of the reputation of Detroit. Instead of saying Detroit in a negative connotation, this project allows people to talk about Detroit positively and to have a reason to visit its remarkable beauty. This project has also been able to truly inspire people of all ages to succeed in life. An example of this was a kid named Justin who, by continuously going to this project when he was younger, is now a delighted senior in college. Stories like this one makes the Heidelberg project so special. It has been a thirty-year journey, filled with times of joy and times of sadness, but ultimately, it’s everlasting. Just as Tyree’s grandfather changed Tyree’s life by giving him a paintbrush and telling him to paint, Tyree now wants to change the world and the reputation of certain areas by inspiring every human being to see themselves as an “artist, a freedom being, called to participate in transforming and reshaping conditions.”