Brayham Contemporary Art

The last time we spent any time in Detroit was during the summer of 2004. We had flown out a month or so earlier and were back to decide if we really wanted to move here. As my husband was in meetings and negotiating for a job he eventually decided not to take, I spent my time driving and wandering around the city.

Downtown Detroit, MI

July 2004

I was used to a level of urban grittiness, as we were living in a loft in Gastown adjacent to Vancouver's notorious Downtown Eastside. However, I was surprised to find that Downtown Detroit was a virtual urban ghost town. At mid-day there was hardly a person or car on the road. The once magnificent architectural gems were mostly boarded up or occasionally claimed by what appeared to be non-conforming live / work artist space.

Downtown Detroit, MI

July 2004

While I found the stock of art deco skyscrapers impressive, for some reason I was most drawn to the burnt out and crumbling Queen Ann red brick mansions in Midtown close to the Wayne State University Campus. Block after block of these stately old homes stood waiting.....

Abandoned Building

Midtown Detroit, MI

July 2004

Waiting for what I was not sure. There was absolutely no sign of activity. They were not being redeveloped, or torn down and they appeared to be beyond habitable for squatters. Attempts of structural support were decaying and barricade fences were falling or had been pulled down. I took dozens and dozens of photos as I drove around what once was a thriving neighbourhood.

Abandoned Building

Midtown Detroit, MI

July 2004

I discovered the stunning red sandstone First Presbyterian Church on Woodward Ave. Built in 1889 it now houses the Ecumenical Theological Seminary. I remember speaking with the caretaker who came out to chat as I took photos. When I asked him about the neighbhourhood and why these once beautiful homes were just left abandoned. He asked me where I was from, figuring that I was obviously not from around here. He sighed, continuing that he wished that more people would come down and take an interest in the area but sounded hopeful that Wayne State University was starting to redevelop and restore the area.

First Presbyterian Church

Woodward Ave

Midtown Detroit, MI

July 2004

While the area around Eastern Market was busy and showed signs of redevelopment, many of the other areas adjacent to downtown Detroit were abandoned or near abandoned. Having lived in the United States for over twelve years we had visited a number of major and mid-sized American cities, however it was here in Detroit that the notion of "white-flight" was immediately apparent.

Butcher's Inn

Eastern Market

Detroit, MI

July 2004

As I drove through the neighbourhoods surrounding downtown I was saddened by the crumbling ruins that were everywhere. I wondered how do we get to the point where we just let our cities crumble apart? What about our history, our heritage? How can we just turn our backs on these buildings and homes that contained remnants of lives, stories and histories?

Abandoned Building

Detroit, MI

July 2004

We did not end up moving to Detroit, and instead relocated to Toronto. There is a part of me that has always regretted this. I feel that Detroit is a city that needs people. It just seems to be the kind of place where you can make a difference, where your efforts just may get noticed. Even then amongst the ruins I felt a sense of creative energy simmering somewhere. I knew it existed in institutions such as the Detroit Institute of Arts, Cranbrook Academy of Arts, the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and the still vibrant music scene, however, I had not yet discovered the numerous other projects and initiatives both big and small that were happening in and around Detroit.

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

I first read about The Heidelberg Project in Metropolis Magazine shortly after moving to Toronto. And then kept noticing articles or mentions of the project in Metropolis, The Globe & Mail, The National Post and popping up various places on the web. However, we have not made it back to Detroit until Christmas morning when we were driving back home from a brief vacation / research trip to New Orleans.

Dotty Wotty House

The Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

December 2010

The Heidelberg Project was started in 1986 by artist Tyree Guyton. Guyton grew up on Heidelberg Street when it was a diverse working class neighbourhood, however when he returned in 1986 he discovered a neighbourhood that was virtually abandoned and whose spirit had been broken by racism, drugs, violence, dispair and poverty. Angered by the loss of three brothers to the streets, Guyton was encouraged by his grandfather Sam Mackey to pick up a paintbrush instead of a weapon and look for a new solution.