SNRE students working with Professor of Landscape Architecture Beth Diamond on a master's project held a public art event at a street festival in Detroit last Saturday. The group—Sarah Alward, Fai Foen, Dana Petit and Christian Runge—set up a tent where visitors could paint tiles that will be incorporated in a future art installation at the Heidelberg Project.
The group's project, "Urban Revitalization through Art, Community and Ecology: The Heidelberg Project," included a participatory public art event as part of a plan for redevelopment that has sites for artists residences and work space, an urban farm and market, and a healing garden.
The Heidelberg Project is a block-long artscape created with found objects in a formerly devastated Detroit neighborhood; the work originated in the late 1980s with work by artist Tyree Guyton and has grown into a community non-profit organization. The festival, called DOTS: Dancing on the Streets, celebrated the neighborhood with music, art, performances and food.
The group had 175 6" by 6" tiles and glaze in coral red, yellow, green, blue, brown and black; by the end of the day, all the tiles were painted in a wide variety of designs. The students also interviewed and filmed people as they created the tiles, creating a video archive of responses to the Heidelberg Project.
"Everyone seemed excited for the opportunity to contribute their art to the Heidelberg Project," said Sarah Alward, one of the students."So many people who came to the festival are really enthusiastic about what Tyree Guyton is doing for the community, and they were happy for a way to share their appreciation."
The students purchased the materials out of their master's project budget; Pewabic donated training and firing.