Official Statement

Wed first like to send our sincere thanks to our large family of supporters. Weve received kind words from all corners of the globe and volunteers have flocked to the project for a second time to help us sweep away dust and debrisa true testament to the power of the polka dot. From the bottoms of our heart we thank you. !ltimately though we must now directly address the October "th fire at the #eidelberg $roject. %his fire was indeed set intentionally the second &suspicious fire' targeting the O( #ouse installation in si) months. !nfortunately Saturdays fire was an act of arson committed by the same young man that set the fabled O( #ouse abla*e in +ay of this year only this time the structure was leveled. For this young man we have a message, We want you to know that we understand your pain. We reali*e that all youve grown to know is destruction and that you see no way out. %his is precisely why we are here. Our work is not about tangible &things ' it is about the $ower of the #uman Spirit. We recogni*e that there is a fire in you and we are here not to e)tinguish it but to offer you a better reason to fuel it. %hough you have tried you cannot destroy the #eidelberg $roject- its bigger than all of us now. .nstead we invite you to join our family in creating a better neighborhood a better /etroit if not for anyone else than for yourself. 0s %yree has said &.f you believe you can change it1' We believe. 22 %he #eidelberg $roject continues to be a symbol of what is possible when hope passion and resilience abound. /etroit has become a metaphor for the world. %hat said its business as usual at the #eidelberg $roject. On Wednesday Oct 3 %yree 4uyton and (enenne Whitfield travel to 5ochum 4ermany as guest speakers in a city struggling with its own loss of industry as 4eneral +otors plans to close its Opel $lant sometime in 6789. On Oct 8: they will travel to ;ew <ork =ity for the opening of 4uytons one man e)hibition at the =ue 0rt Foundation ironically entitled Faces of God on Fire. &We leave the /etroit community with a continued message of hope and inspiration ' says 4uyton. &We e)port that hope wherever we go. We will not be stopped.'