For the Detroit celebration of the launch of "The Pink List" on the PinkGirlsRunTheWorld.com blog, I wanted a venue that reflected the city’s progress while offering an opportunity to connect with residents that are rooted in Detroit’s rich and culturally diverse history (click here to read more about how “The Pink List” started). Whether you view gentrification as merely the improvement of a neighborhood or believe the word inherently implies displacement…it is very much tied into the revitalization of a city that was almost forgotten as quickly as the abandoned auto factories that influenced the nickname “Motor City.” The progress may be more gradual when compared to other cities, but Detroit’s downtown is gentrifying.
Now the site of the newly renovated Siren Hotel, it wasn’t that long ago that the once elegant Wurlitzer Building had fallen into the type of disrepair that sent pieces of its worn facade slamming into a neighboring building. Nestled in this retro Hollywood style boutique hotel, the Candy Bar is a sweet addition to Detroit’s downtown scene.
Looming over the curved marble bar top, we were drawn to the Candy Bar’s stunning vintage Murano glass chandelier as soon as we pulled back the beaded trim velvet curtain. Composed of 670 individual glass pieces, the 880 lbs. statement piece was purchased in Paris (CLICK FOR DETAILS ON OUR PINKTASTIC 2020 PARIS TRIP). The blush lounge’s Jayne Mansfield pink hued banquettes offered the perfect backdrop as we sipped on bubble gum themed cocktails, laughed together and chatted about Detroit’s evolving landscape. Dominating the conversation, I was instantly enamored with Detroit’s Heidelberg Project’s (HP) mission and vision.
In 1986, artist Tyree Guyton returned to Heidelberg Street, where he grew up on Detroit’s East Side. Finding it in shambles, riddled with drugs and deepening poverty, Guyton was encouraged by his grandfather to pick up a paintbrush for a solution instead of a weapon. Vacant lots literally became “lots of art” and abandoned houses became “gigantic art sculptures.”
HP is an outdoor art environment and a Detroit based community organization with a mission to improve the lives of people and neighborhoods through art.
HP outdoor interactive art environment
The theory of change for the HP begins with the belief that all citizens, from all cultures, have the right to grow and flourish in their communities. The HP believes that a community can re-develop and sustain itself, from the inside out, by embracing its diverse cultures and artistic attributes as the essential building blocks for a fulfilling and economically viable way of life.
Detroit to the Diaspora (DTD) is an annual cultural immersion, study abroad program for students in Detroit schools. DTD is a life-changing experience for Detroit youth, providing culturally vibrant enriching experiences that widen their global and social network for the purposes of strengthening students’ positive identity and leadership in their own lives and ultimately among their communities throughout Detroit. Creating pathways for a heightened and positive sense of individual purpose that will lead to larger, positive impacts in their community; DTD is a very pivotal moment for Detroit’s youth to be empowered and grow as leaders taking part in Detroit’s rebuilding.
More HP info here: https://www.heidelberg.org/
“Too many people miss the silver lining because they’re focused on the gold.”