The John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, is currently hosting a major exhibition featuring the work of Detroit artist Tyree Guyton, creator of the renowned Heidelberg Project. The exhibition, titled "Heidelbergology: Is It Art Now?" showcases large-scale presentations of Guyton's decades-long outdoor and studio projects, bringing his community-focused art philosophy to a new audience.

The Heidelberg Project began in 1986 when Guyton started transforming the 3600 block of Heidelberg Street in Detroit's McDougall Hunt neighborhood. At the time, the area had experienced mass disinvestment, with grassy lots and abandoned homes scattered throughout. Guyton began creating found object assemblages and painted patterns, gradually turning the neglected neighborhood into what he describes as an immersive, vernacular art environment that combines everyday materials with mystical translations.

Spanning nearly four decades and several city blocks, the ever-evolving outdoor installation has become a major destination for both tourists and locals. The project features iconic elements including a polka-dot house, a building covered in long paintings of shoes, a collection of portraits painted on car hoods, and countless sculptures and assemblages that seem to take on lives of their own. Because the works remain exposed to natural elements, Guyton regularly maintains and upcycles pieces, either adding to existing works or transforming materials into entirely new creations.

The museum describes the exhibition as being rooted in "the study of discarded material incorporated into the fabric and structure of a community and the effects on the community." However, Guyton offers a more abstract interpretation of his work. In a phone conversation from Detroit, he explained, "That's what this show is about, magic. Two plus two equals eight, Heidelbergology... There are people there that have not been here, and I came there to give them a reason to come. It's an invitation."

Despite being displayed in a traditional white-cube gallery space, Guyton maintained his community focus by inviting local Sheboygan residents to paint his beloved polka dots on the museum walls. This collaboration provides a vivid and expressive backdrop for his expansive works. One of the most prominent pieces greeting visitors at the entrance is Guyton's version of Noah's Ark, composed of crowd-sourced stuffed animals and children's toys piled high atop a painted fishing boat.

Throughout the exhibition and his broader body of work, Guyton makes explicit connections to the divine, particularly referencing Yahweh. He considers The Heidelberg Project to serve as both a mirror to society and a conduit to a higher power, with messages that he translates and shares with anyone who encounters the work. "What I see happening in the world? I put it on those TV sets, put it in a museum, turn it into works of art, to give it back to the public and to say to them, look at what's happening," he explains. "Like, can we see it? I see it through me."

The exhibition also pays tribute to Guyton's artistic origins and his grandfather, Sam Mackey, who first introduced him to art as a child. A collection of Mackey's drawings, created at the end of his life, is suspended within a house-shaped structure at the center of the museum. These familial works are not typically displayed in Detroit, offering visitors special insight into the artist's background and influences that are rarely seen elsewhere.

As Guyton and his project team look toward the future, they are preparing to transfer ownership of The Heidelberg Project to the community itself. They hope local residents will become stewards of the enormous effort and continue investing in the neighborhood's artistic transformation. "I'm here to do something that when I die, it's going to live on," the artist says. "I believe that what I have done here is so philosophical, it's teaching me, and I love making mistakes."

Guyton approaches his work without preciousness, easily embracing change and evolution. When the Sheboygan exhibition concludes, the sculptures and paintings that have been meticulously cared for in the museum setting will return to outdoor display. However, they might find themselves in entirely new locations if Guyton has filled their previous spots with new creations. This constant state of motion allows The Heidelberg Project to continuously present fresh messages for Guyton to learn from and share through graffiti-covered television sets or collaged panel works.

When asked how he determines when a piece is complete, Guyton's answer reflects his lifelong commitment to the work: "My work is finished when I'm dead." The exhibition "Heidelbergology: Is It Art Now?" runs through February 15, 2026, at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center. Visitors to the area are also encouraged to explore the Art Preserve, located just a few miles away, which features equally impressive artistic environments.