Jenenne Whitfield

Executive Director – The Heidelberg Project

Moderator - 10:30am, Thursday, April 7th – The Power of Race in Placemaking and Community Development.

Panelist - 9:00am, Thursday, April 7th – Proving Ground: Experiments in and with the Public Realm, and Their Relationship To the Post-Industrial Enviornment.

Jenenne Whitfield serves as the Executive Director of the critically acclaimed Heidelberg Project. Prior to her involvement with the Heidelberg Project she had a successful career in banking. Then, in 1993, she took a wrong turn and drove down a polka-dotted street– through a colorful chaos of paint and people– and asked a paint-spattered man, “what is all this?” The man was artist Tyree Guyton and what he told her sparked an obsession that changed her life forever. She could never have imagined giving up her fourteen-year career to work in a non-profit arts-related venture, but she recognized this seemingly wrong turn as a higher calling. With a leap of faith, she embarked on the challenge of a lifetime.
Under Ms. Whitfield’s direction, The Heidelberg Project has expanded its goals to include acquisition and restoration of property in the Heidelberg area, and implementation of community art and education programs. Her leadership and commitment have enabled the project to extend its reach by participating in joint projects with museums, universities and other educational organizations. Her relentless enthusiasm and tireless efforts have won increasing support and respect for this often-controversial endeavor. Her persistence
has been rewarded by a growing worldwide interest in the message she embraced on that summer afternoon when she asked “what is all this?” and felt the answer resonate inside her.