Heidelberg Project's 'Dot Project' to paint trademark dots on street delayed

Maureen Feighan
The Detroit News

A project to paint the Heidelberg Project's trademark polka dots down Heidelberg Street on Detroit's east side has been delayed.

The Dot Project was supposed to happen Friday but has been delayed until mid-August and could be delayed again, said Rochelle Riley, Detroit's director of arts and culture. It's unclear why it was postponed.

The Detroit City Council approved a resolution for the Dot Project in late July as a way to honor the iconic outdoor art display. For years, it was the target of city officials who wanted it demolished but, in a shift with Detroit leaders recently, founder Tyree Guyton was honored last fall with a Lifetime Achievement Award from Detroit.

A taxi in the Heidelberg Project in 2011.

The day-long Dot Project will involve painting large, colorful polka dots down a half mile stretch of Heidelberg Street from Mt. Elliott to McDougall. It comes as Heidelberg's longtime president, Jenenne Whitfield, stepped down from the installation at the end of August to take the helm of the American Visionary Art Museum in early September.

In July, Whitfield said she couldn't imagine a better sendoff than the Dot Project.

mfeighan@detroitnews.com