Nearly 40 years ago, Detroit artist Tyree Guyton returned home from military service to find the neighborhood he loved transformed by disinvestment and blight. In the McDougall-Hunt community where he grew up, abandoned houses and empty lots stood as painful reminders of a city that was then struggling. But where others saw blight, Guyton saw possibility.

With the help of his grandfather, Sam Mackey, Guyton began painting houses, repurposing discarded objects and transforming Heidelberg Street into a bold public art environment rooted in creativity, resilience and community expression. The Heidelberg Project – as it soon became known – would go on to capture the hearts of people from all over the world. What started as one artist’s response to neighborhood decline soon became a cultural landmark that has been redefining the way people experience public art.

 

Investing in the Next 40 Years

Now, as the Heidelberg Project celebrates its 40th anniversary and enters a new chapter of leadership and growth, the Gilbert Family Foundation is proud to support the organization’s future through a $125,000 investment in the renovation of the iconic Number House.

The investment marks the first major construction funding for the project and comes at a pivotal moment as Executive Director Andy Sturm transitions leadership to incoming Executive Director Colleen McLellan. Together, this moment represents both continuity and evolution for one of Detroit’s most iconic artistic institutions.

“The Heidelberg Project is a unique gathering space for people from all walks of life to experience art in a way that’s open, accessible and distinctly rooted in place,” said Akua Hill, Director of Arts and Culture, Gilbert Family Foundation. “It invites people to find inspiration and inquiry beyond the walls of a traditional museum. This is a perfect time to support the evolution of Number House as Heidelberg embarks on its next 40 years.”

Once restored, the Number House will serve as an accessible arts and community space that will support an artist-in-residence program as well as engagement opportunities and programming for the neighborhood to help sustain the Heidelberg Project’s mission for decades to come.

For the Gilbert Family Foundation, this investment reflects our broader commitment to strengthening Detroit’s arts economy and expanding access to arts and cultural experiences for Detroit residents. The Heidelberg Project has long demonstrated how public art can spark dialogue, inspire creativity and strengthen communities while attracting both local and global visitors to Detroit neighborhoods.

“The Heidelberg Project reflects the power of art to transform how we connect with place and one another,” said Hill. “Supporting the Number House honors that legacy while investing in its future as a space for gathering, learning, and celebration.”

As we look toward the future of the Heidelberg Project, the renovation of the Number House represents so more than the preservation of a building. It is an opportunity to create experiences for Detroit residents that reaffirms the connection with the city’s deep arts legacy. This is an investment in Detroit artists, neighborhoods and the enduring power of public art to shape a more vibrant future for city where the Heidelberg Project took root and blossomed.

Celebrate The Heidelberg Project’s milestone birthday at The Heidelberg Ball, June 20th, 6-10pm on the street where it all began. The celebration continues this fall, October 3, 7pm at The Shepard as we gather for the Heidelberg Project’s 40th Anniversary Gala. Learn more here.