Tyree Guyton

Tyree Guyton is an artist that is best known for his artwork that crucifies stuffed clowns and paints old drug dens in polka dots. He has been awarded a plethora of awards from many different places. Some examples are Michigan artist of the year, Detroit free press, state of Michigan, Detroit Michigan, an Emmy award, and Best known artist in Detroit. Guyton was born August 24th, 1955 to his parents George and Betty Guyton. He had a rough childhood which he channeled into his art. He was married to Karen Smith. They got a divorce and now is remarried to Jenenne Whitfeild. He has five kids, Tyree JR, towan, Omar, James, and Tylisa. They still live in Detroit. Tyree embodies the spirit of Detroit, having his roots deep here it’s no surprise. Guyton stands a pillar in his community as a fellow Detroiter, a prominent artist, and a community activist.

Tyree was a Detroiter through and through. He grew up in a family of ten. As an aspiring artist, he was consistently ridiculed and ignored. He found a sole source of

It is about a principle that when you have something to look at, people can’t just look the other way.

Based on these principles he became a pillar in his community. “Guyton’s so-called “junk art” on Heidelberg Street has been described in the press as being controversial, political, and public—in short, the art of a revolutionary.” In all of his work, he has created a stir. He has created such an amount of publicity for his works that in his art he has built barriers to crime.

The area now gets so much attention that some of the prostitutes and drug dealers have fled the area that they once squatted in. So Guyton has helped society is many ways by building the Heidelberg. He has inspired young artist, made an eye sore a beautiful place, brought tourism, and made crime move away from that area. After thirty years Guyton is thinking about re doing the Heidelberg project. I cannot wait to see what he has in