For Alternative Spring Break 2018, the Detroit team has a new focus area. Detroit has become an arts destination in the United States with internationally recognized museums and a burgeoning street art movement coupled with an influx of artists, an arts focused trip was the perfect fit for a city like Detroit.
The Heidelberg Project is a massive outdoor art environment created by Tyree Guyton in response to poverty, rampant drug use and violence. Vacant houses, lots, sidewalks and trees have been transformed into colorful works of art with the hope to inspire people to appreciate artistic expression.
Beyond Basics provides tutoring and supplemental programs such as art and writing to all students in the Detroit public school system. The program was started in response to extreme poverty and the adverse effects on a child’s education.
Arts & Scraps provides a creative and hands-on learning environment. Sustainability is a core goal with 28 tons of recycled materials coming into Arts & Scraps yearly. Those materials are then turned into art kits for children to make projects especially focused in STEM.
Mosaic Youth Theatre was founded to address gaps in arts education. The program provides intense training for singers, actors and stage technicians. The award-winning programs serve thousands of children from low-income families every year. The program is internationally recognized with its alumni winning Tony, Grammy and Emmy awards.
In between serving with their community partners, the team explored the Detroit Institute of Art, home to works from artists such as Elizabeth Catlett, Diego Riviera and Vincent Van Gogh. It would have been remiss to not stop at Hitsville USA, the birthplace of Motown. Some of the most famous musicians in the world like Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye got their start at Hitsville USA. While in Detroit, the team caught up with University of Iowa alumni and Detroiter, Rachel Zuckerman. She gave a guided tour of Detroit highlighting the unique history, culture and emerging arts scene of Detroit.
“Detroit is big enough to matter in the world and small enough for you to matter in it.”
-Jeanette Pierce