Amid financial hardships made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic, the internationally renowned Heidelberg Project has made the difficult decision to lay off its staff and temporarily suspend its educational programs.
After the project’s board of directors approved the sale of its McDougall Street headquarters, which consists of two buildings and five lots, they said in a statement on Monday that the proceeds would be directed toward “maintaining and improving the core art environment” of its outdoor sites in the McDougall-Hunt neighborhood.
Andrew Sturm, the Heidelberg’s board chair, spoke to BridgeDetroit about the organizational changes. “The decisions are a part of the project’s plan to reorganize and create a new model to ensure its long-term sustainability,” Sturm explained. He also mentioned that about a month ago, the board began working with the nine-member staff on how to execute the layoffs.
Sturm emphasized the team’s dedication to BridgeDetroit, stating, “We have fought to keep our staff as long as we could because they are excellent and their work made a difference for Detroit’s youth and artist communities.”
The Heidelberg Project, which began in 1986 as a passion project by artist Tyree Guyton, transformed vacant lots and abandoned homes into iconic art sculptures. Guyton’s commitment to involving neighborhood children led to a broader focus on youth programs over the project’s 37-year existence. One such initiative, the Heidelberg Arts Leadership Academy, has now been put on pause. This program had Heidelberg staff collaborating with Detroit schools, emphasizing arts, media literacy, and career training.
Discussing the organization’s free programs, Sturm mentioned to BridgeDetroit that Heidelberg has served over 475 students since 2018. However, he also highlighted the challenges, saying, “During COVID, a lot of that funding pivoted from arts and culture to a lot of health and welfare initiatives, and we haven’t seen that funding come back as strong. We’ve held on as long as we can, but we recognize that there’s not enough money coming in to continue the programs in the right way.”
Over the years, the Heidelberg Project faced numerous obstacles. In the ’90s, some properties were ordered to be demolished under the directives of former mayors Coleman Young and Dennis Archer. Moreover, a series of fires between 2015 and 2019 caused damage to several properties.
Looking ahead, Sturm said the board, alongside the project’s advisory board and experts, will center their efforts on “the core art environment.” This involves maintaining prominent art pieces such as the “Numbers House” and the “Dotty Wotty House.” They also plan to keep up with the care of adjacent properties.
This week, discussions with the Bailey Park Neighborhood Development Corporation are on Sturm’s agenda. Katrina Watson, the corporation’s founder and executive director, expressed her support, telling BridgeDetroit, “We definitely want to see how we can help. We want to make sure they have the funds to maintain the grounds because safety of our residents is our biggest concern.”
As the organization plots its future course, Sturm conveyed hope and determination: “It’s hard to say when we would come back with what the new approach would be, but we’re going to take our time and make sure it’s right,” he told BridgeDetroit, anticipating an update by early next year.
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