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In her ability to see a place for what it is and what it could be, Yvette Rock is unique among artists who in recent years have tried to capture the fall and rise of Detroit. It helps that the painter, collagist, and photographer lives there, with her husband and four children. "When I go and photograph buildings that are abandoned . . . I start thinking about who lived here and what happened," notes Rock, owner and director of Live Coal Gallery. "I know that someone was really affected by this. That there's a person who lost their home."

In her mixed-media installation "The 10 Plagues of Detroit," it's these people as much as Detroit's social and economic challenges that come to the forefront. And it's these people, says Rock, whom God has called to be "repairers of broken walls and restorers of streets with dwellings" (Isaiah 58). In this film, our first documentary shot on location in Detroit, Rock describes how the Isaiah passage informs her own work—and sustains her hope for the restoration of her city.

The Art of Restoration Amidst Detroit's Ruined Walls

How the vision of a restored city informs Detroit artist Yvette Rock's haunting work.
Rethinking the $3,000 Missions Trip

Rethinking the $3,000 Missions Trip

When I learned that kids in my city couldn't swim, I started to rethink how much I'd invested in overseas missions.
Furniture Fit for the Kingdom

Furniture Fit for the Kingdom

For Harrison Higgins, building beautiful furniture is not simply a steady job but a sacrament unto God.
Faith in a Fallen Empire

Faith in a Fallen Empire

Detroit's list of maladies is long. But some Christians' commitment to its renewal is longer.
'Daddy, Why Do People Steal from Us?'

'Daddy, Why Do People Steal from Us?'

How I answered the question would prove crucial to addressing racial divides in our D.C. neighborhood.

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