DETROIT REPATCHED IS A 2021 KNIGHT ARTS CHALLENGE DETROIT WINNING PROJECT!
AN ARTS-INFUSED GREEN SPACE & ART HUB IN BRIGHTMOOR
Art + Land | Art + People | Art + Home
About Us
Welcome to Detroit rePatched!
In 2019, Yvette and Joshua Rock purchased a small house on Bentler Street in Detroit's Brightmoor neighborhood. The couple primarily used the house as a retreat space. They began purchasing side lots and Yvette's small business, Live Coal Gallery, LLC began to build out a former land bank home located across the street from the retreat house. Over the next three years, the couple worked slowly in restoring the lots that were once filled with trash, dead trees and overgrowth. Today, they have dedicated the space towards the beautification and vibrancy of that part of Detroit so that generations to come may enjoy it! The non-profit organization founded and directed by Yvette, Live Coal, now oversees the programming of the spaces. The program is called Detroit rePatched.
Detroit rePatched is an arts-infused green space and art hub in Detroit’s Brightmoor neighborhood. Detroit rePatched is a place where we connect Art + Land, Art + People, and Art + Home.
Art + Land means working around and with the naturally existing landscape. In collaboration and partnership with artists and creatives, we create and install innovative works of public art, structures, and gardens utilizing our outdoor multi-functional studio spaces, our stage/outdoor classroom, and surrounding green space. Some of these works are permanent and others are temporary. We break some of the barriers between private and public access to art and artistic processes.
Art + People means connecting and engaging neighbors and the broader public with our project and each other. Now more than ever, Detroiters need safe, vibrant, and peaceful neighborhoods that are preserved and uplifted by native and legacy Detroiters. Detroit rePatched provides the space and context for us to think creatively and outside of the box while fostering genuine connections with one another.
Art + Home means working to restore homes, structures, and vacant lots that have existed in and around us, including the renovation of a Detroit Land Bank property which our Founder is personally turning into an Art House for the non-profit’s use. The Art House will host rotating artists-in-residence, community gatherings, and workshops. We will set up a small tech hub and sewing studio for young people interested in creative technology, graphic design, documentary work, fiber arts, and sewing.
This welcome gate pictured here was designed and built by Brightmoor resident, Mark Schumack.
Philosophy & Educational Programming
Our philosophy at Detroit rePatched is centered around accessibility to arts, culture, and nature. We are working around and with the naturally existing landscape to make everything we do meaningful and impactful. In collaboration and partnership with artists, makers, landscapers, and others, we create and install innovative works of public art, structures, gardens, studios, playscapes, and non-traditional classrooms. We utilize our outdoor multi-functional studio spaces, our stage/outdoor classroom, and surrounding green space to promote a love for the natural environment. We integrate arts into everything we do and create inclusive spaces that cater to the diverse age groups we serve. We have a long-term vision to see the Brightmoor neighborhood be as resilient as it can be for children, individuals, and families today and for decades to come. Some of the physical works we create and spaces we improve are permanent and others are temporary. We break many of the barriers that have historically existed between private and public access to art and artistic processes by inviting the public to interact and help creatively activate our outdoor green spaces.
If you're interested in participating in a class or teaching a class, contact us! at admin@livecoal.org.
About the Founder
Yvette Rock Bio
Yvette Rock is a painter, object-maker, photographer, and performer. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in 1997 and a Master of Fine Arts in painting from the University of Michigan in 1999. She is currently pursuing a K-12 Certificate in Visual Arts Education from College for Creative Studies. Yvette has been a teaching artist with InsideOut Literary Arts for 25 years and continues to partner with organizations to bring visual arts to children. In 2012 she founded Live Coal Gallery, LLC (now Rock Gallery of Art, LLC) – a small business in Detroit. LCG was a recipient of the 2017, 2019, and 2021 Knight Arts Challenge. Rock is the Founder and Executive Director of Live Coal, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization transforming lives and neighborhoods through art, community development, and education. She is a 2019 Facing Change: Documenting Detroit Fellow and a 2024 Seed and Bloom: Detroit Fellow. Rock lives in Detroit with her husband and five children.
