In its 20 years of existence, the Heidelberg Project has inspired awe in visitors from around the world, drawn praise from the international art community and provoked extensive discussions in its own backyard. In 1986, Tyree Guyton created the project with the idea of visibly transforming the environment of his decaying neighborhood, which was marred by crime, prostitution and gangs. Using the materials around him cast-off toys, discarded car parts and other debris along with his trademark brightly colored polka dots, Guyton eventually transformed several houses and vacant lots on Heidelberg Street into Detroit's most recognizable art environment and one of its leading tourist attractions. Connecting the Dots, the first comprehensive collection of writings on the Heidelberg Project, attempts to get to the heart of Guyton's project by considering it from a number of fascinating angles including legal, aesthetic, political and personal.

Come Unto Me, The Faces of Tyree Guyton
is a portrait of one artist who has created a massive "junk art" project in the heart of Detroit's blighted East Side. Since 1986, Tyree Guyton has transformed his entire block using thousands of gallons of paint and a cacophony of cast away objects. The film tell the story of his struggle to create art from inner city rubble, even as he faces heated opposition from community and city council members who see it only as junk. The controversy over the Heidelberg Project culminated in 1991 when former Mayor Coleman Young ordered its demolition. Come Unto Me documents the creation, destruction and subsequent rebirth of Detroit's most evocative expression of outsider art.Total running time:29:30

Primarily a painter and sculptor, Tyree Guyton has also been described as an urban environmental artist. He has waged a personal war on urban blight on Detroit’s East Side, transforming first a street in his neighborhood and then two city blocks into a living indoor/ outdoor art gallery by using discarded objects he found – everything from old shoes to bicycles to baby dolls – to embellish abandoned houses, sidewalks and empty lots.

Jenenne Whitfield serves as the Executive Director of the critically acclaimed Heidelberg Project. After taking a wrong turn onto Heidelberg Street and talking with Tyree Guyton she switched careers. Under Ms. Whitfield’s direction, The Heidelberg Project has expanded its goals to include acquisition and restoration of property in the Heidelberg area, development of an artist-in-residence program and implementation of community art and education programs. Her leadership and commitment have enabled the project to extend its reach by participating in joint projects with museums, universities and other educational organizations.

The 2008 Michigan Notable Books program and tour are made possible thanks to the generous support of Borders, Cooley Law School, ProQuest, Meijer, the Library of Michigan, the Library of Michigan Foundation, LaSalle Bank/Bank of America, Auto-Owners Insurance, Delta Dental, the Michigan Center for the Book, the Michigan Humanities Council, the National Endowment for the Humanities and Schuler Books & Music. The program’s media partners are the Lansing State Journal, WKAR and Queue Creative.

Books will be available from BookBeat for purchase and signing.