The Shoe House at left is a work of art. (To get the full effect of the photo, click on the image and it will enlarge.) It also is a marketing nightmare. The work of art was commissioned by the City of St. Paul who hired Tyree Guyton, "a world-renowned painter, sculptor, mixed media and urban environmental artist" from Detroit to come to Minnesota and work to revitalize the community with a community art project. The designated house was soon covered with old shoes. Yes, old shoes! Worn out, holey, beat up, or smelly shoes. They were the "soles of souls." They were adhered to the siding of the house and were a shock to anyone who casually drove by. I was one of those surprised passers-by and circled the block to make sure I had seen the right thing. The house is located at 743 Charles Ave. in St. Paul.
The house changed from work of art to marketing nightmare in 1999 when the owner listed the home for sale. The shoes could not be removed because they were a work of art. But, art is in the eye of the beholder and after 72 days, no eye had taken interest in beholding this piece of art. The property went off the market.
In 2001 another attempt was made to sell the home but it looked entirely different. The shoes were gone and the new siding looked pretty good. The house did not sell this time either, but the curb appeal was certainly improved.
Comments