Chicago Assembly Plant (sometimes referred to as Torrence Avenue Assembly ) is Ford Motor Company 's oldest continuously operated automobile manufacturing plant. It is located at E. 130th Street and Torrence Avenue in the Hegewisch neighborhood of Chicago , Illinois , US. As of 2023, Chicago Assembly Plant manufactures the sixth-generation Ford Explorer , the second-generation Lincoln Aviator , and the Police Interceptor Utility .
61-461: Production started on March 3, 1924, as an alternative site to the River Rouge Plant for Model T production. It switched to Model A production in 1928, and built M8 Greyhound and M20 Armored Utility Car armored cars during World War II . It was the site of pickup truck production for 40 years before that operation stopped in 1964. In 1985, it was selected as the site of production for
122-411: A $ 50 million mechanical treatment facility. Mural A mural is any piece of graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco , mosaic , graffiti and marouflage . The word mural is a Spanish adjective that is used to refer to what is attached to a wall. The term mural later became a noun. In art,
183-567: A U.S. steelmaker. The new Dearborn Truck factory famously features a vegetation-covered roof and rainwater reclamation system designed by sustainability architect William McDonough . This facility is still Ford's largest factory and employs some 6,000 workers. Mustang production, however, has moved to the Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Flat Rock, Michigan . Tours of the Rouge complex were
244-416: A damp lime wash , rapid use of the resulting mixture over a large surface, and often in parts (but with a sense of the whole). The colors lighten as they dry. The marouflage method has also been used for millennia. Murals today are painted in a variety of ways, using oil or water-based media. The styles can vary from abstract to trompe-l'œil (a French term for "fool" or "trick the eye"). Initiated by
305-638: A dialogue and hence solving the cleavage in the long run. The Indian state Kerala has exclusive murals . These Kerala mural painting are on walls of Hindu temples . They can be dated from 9th century AD. The San Bartolo murals of the Maya civilization in Guatemala , are the oldest example of this art in Mesoamerica and are dated at 300 BC. Many rural towns have begun using murals to create tourist attractions in order to boost economic income. Colquitt, Georgia
366-634: A famous series of twenty-seven fresco panels entitled Detroit Industry on the walls of an inner court at the Detroit Institute of Arts . During the McCarthyism of the 1950s, a large sign was placed in the courtyard defending the artistic merit of the murals while attacking his politics as "detestable". In 1948, the Colombian government hosted the IX Pan-American Conference to establish
427-702: A key role in contemporary wall painting. Such graffiti/street artists as Keith Haring , Shepard Fairey , Above , Mint&Serf, Futura 2000 , Os Gemeos , and Faile among others have successfully transcended their street art aesthetic beyond the walls of urban landscape and onto walls of private and corporate clients. As graffiti/street art became more mainstream in the late 1990s, youth-oriented brands such as Nike and Red Bull, with Wieden Kennedy, have turned to graffiti/street artists to decorate walls of their respective offices. This trend continued through 2000's with graffiti/street art gaining more recognition from art institutions worldwide. Many homeowners choose to display
488-411: A long tradition. Free bus tours of the facility began in 1924 and ran until 1980, at their peak hosting approximately a million visitors per year. They resumed in 2004 in cooperation with The Henry Ford Museum with multimedia presentations, as well as viewing of the assembly floor. The Ford Rouge Factory Tour had 148,000 visitors in 2017. Hourly workers from both Ford and Cleveland Cliffs facilities at
549-416: A mural in their home. This is not an activity exclusively for owners of large houses. A mural artist is only limited by the fee and therefore the time spent on the painting; dictating the level of detail; a simple mural can be added to the smallest of walls. Private commissions can be for dining rooms, bathrooms, living rooms or, as is often the case- children's bedrooms. A child's room can be transformed into
610-617: A new assembly facility on the Miller Road side of the complex, currently producing Ford F-150 pickup trucks. The River Rouge complex manufactured most of the components of Ford vehicles, starting with the Model T. Many of the vehicles were compiled into " knock-down kits ", then sent by railroad to various branch assembly locations across the United States in major metropolitan cities to be locally assembled, using local supplies as necessary. After
671-410: A particular style and the artist may adjust to the appropriate technique. A consultation usually leads to detailed design and layout of the proposed mural with a price quote that the client approves before the muralist starts on the work. The area to be painted can be gridded to match the design allowing the image to be scaled accurately step by step. In some cases, the design is projected straight onto
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#1733086042826732-426: A relatively effective tool of social emancipation or achieving a political goal. Murals have sometimes been created against the law, or have been commissioned by local bars and coffee shops. Often, the visual effects are an enticement to attract public attention to social issues. State-sponsored public art expressions, particularly murals, are often used by totalitarian regimes as a tool of propaganda. However, despite
793-545: A series of communities, mainly located in New York, that have walls dedicated to the people who died. These memorials, both written word and mural style, provide the deceased to be present in the communities in which they lived. Bragg states that the "murals have woven themselves in the fabric of the neighborhoods, and the city". These memorials remind people of the deaths caused by inner city violence. Many people like to express their individuality by commissioning an artist to paint
854-488: A three-story structure, is part of the legendary Dearborn Assembly Plant, which started producing Model A's in the late 1920s and continued production of Ford full-sized coupes and sedans through 2004. After the war, production turned to Fordson tractors . Although the Rouge produced nearly all the parts of the Model T , assembly of that vehicle remained at Highland Park . It was not until 1927 that automobile production began at
915-673: A wall in an old building, once a prison, at the top of a cliff in Bardiyah, in Libya. It was painted and signed by the artist in April 1942, weeks before his death on the first day of the First Battle of El Alamein . Known as the Bardia Mural , it was created by English artist, private John Frederick Brill . In 1961 East Germany began to erect a wall between East and West Berlin , which became famous as
976-494: Is a large advertisement on or attached to the outside wall of a building. Wallscapes can be painted directly on the wall as a mural, or printed on vinyl and securely attached to the wall in the manner of a billboard . Although not strictly classed as murals, large scale printed media are often referred to as such. Advertising murals were traditionally painted onto buildings and shops by sign-writers, later as large scale poster billboards . Murals are important as they bring art into
1037-466: Is later set aside to let the clay dry. Once dried, the canvas and the shape can be painted with your choice of colors and later coated with varnish. As an alternative to a hand-painted or airbrushed mural, digitally printed murals can also be applied to surfaces. Already existing murals can be photographed and then be reproduced in near-to-original quality. The disadvantages of pre-fabricated murals and decals are that they are often mass-produced and lack
1098-405: Is often a unique experience for an individual not usually involved in the arts. In the 1980s, illusionary wall painting experienced a renaissance in private homes. The reason for this revival in interior design could, in some cases be attributed to the reduction in living space for the individual. Faux architectural features, as well as natural scenery and views, can have the effect of 'opening out'
1159-404: Is painted on nearly-dry plaster, and was defined by the sixteenth-century author Ignazio Pozzo as "firm enough not to take a thumb-print" so that the pigment only penetrates slightly into the plaster. By the end of the sixteenth century, this had largely displaced the buon fresco method, and was used by painters such as Gianbattista Tiepolo or Michelangelo . This technique had, in reduced form,
1220-606: Is related to murus , meaning "wall". Murals of sorts date to Upper Paleolithic times such as the cave paintings in the Lubang Jeriji Saléh cave in Borneo (40,000–52,000 BP), Chauvet Cave in Ardèche department of southern France (around 32,000 BP). Many ancient murals have been found within ancient Egyptian tombs (around 3150 BC), the Minoan palaces (Middle period III of
1281-609: The Berlin Wall . While on the East Berlin side painting was not allowed, artists painted on the Western side of the Wall from the 80s until the fall of the Wall in 1989. Many unknown and known artists such as Thierry Noir and Keith Haring painted on the Wall, the "World's longest canvas ". The sometimes detailed artwork were often painted over within hours or days. On the Western side the Wall
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#17330860428261342-468: The Italian word affresco which derives from the adjective fresco ("fresh"), describes a method in which the paint is applied on plaster on walls or ceilings. The buon fresco technique consists of painting in pigment mixed with water on a thin layer of wet, fresh, lime mortar or plaster . The pigment is then absorbed by the wet plaster; after a number of hours, the plaster dries and reacts with
1403-634: The Marshall plan for the Americas. The director of the OEA and the Colombian government commissioned master Santiago Martinez Delgado , to paint a mural in the Colombian congress building to commemorate the event. Martinez decided to make it about the Cúcuta Congress , and painted Bolívar in front of Santander , making liberals upset; so, due to the murder of Jorge Elieser Gaitan the mobs of el bogotazo tried to burn
1464-608: The Rouge complex , River Rouge , or The Rouge ) is a Ford Motor Company automobile factory complex located in Dearborn, Michigan , along the River Rouge , upstream from its confluence with the Detroit River at Zug Island . Construction began in 1917, and when it was completed in 1928, it was the largest integrated factory in the world, surpassing Buick City , built in 1904. It inspired
1525-797: The Île Seguin Renault factory in 1920, the GAZ factory built in the 1930s in the Soviet Union , the Volkswagen factory near Fallersleben in Germany from 1938, the FIAT factory at Torino ( FIAT Mirafiori factory ) in Italy from 1939 as well as the later Hyundai factory complex in Ulsan, South Korea , which was developed beginning in the late 1960s. Designed by Albert Kahn , River Rouge
1586-451: The 'fantasy world' of a forest or racing track , encouraging imaginative play and an awareness of art. The current trend for feature walls has increased commissions for muralists in the UK. A large hand-painted mural can be designed on a specific theme, incorporate personal images and elements and may be altered during the course of painting it. The personal interaction between client and muralist
1647-419: The 1.1-million-square-foot (100,000 m ) Dearborn truck assembly plant was covered with more than 10 acres (4.0 ha) of sedum , a low-growing groundcover . The sedum retains and cleanses rainwater and moderates the internal temperature of the building, saving energy. The roof is part of an $ 18 million rainwater treatment system designed to collect and clean rainwater annually, sparing Ford from
1708-399: The 1960s, Ford began to decentralize manufacturing, building several factories in major metropolitan centers. The Rouge was downsized, with units (including the famous furnaces and docks) sold off to independent companies, many still operating independently to this day. On May 26, 1937, a group of workers attempting to organize a union at the Rouge were severely beaten, an event later called
1769-697: The Battle of the Overpass . Peter E. Martin 's respect for labor led to Walter Reuther , a UAW leader, allowing Martin to be the only Ford manager to retrieve his papers or gain access to the plant. The Rouge was one of only three locations where Ford manufactured the Mustang; the other sites were Metuchen Assembly in Edison, New Jersey , and San Jose Assembly in Milpitas, California . By 1987, only Mustang production remained at
1830-466: The Dearborn Assembly Plant (DAP). In 1987 Ford planned to replace that car with the front wheel drive Ford Probe , but public outcry quickly turned to surging sales. With the fourth-generation Mustang a success, the Rouge was saved as well. Ford decided to modernize its operations. A gas explosion on February 1, 1999, killed six employees and injured two dozen more, resulting in the idling of
1891-562: The Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable midsize sedans. Ford spent US$ 400,000,000 in 2004 to modernize the plant. It switched to production of D3-platform vehicles for 2005, and to CD6-platform vehicles for 2020. Nine automotive suppliers have built factories nearby at the Ford Chicago Manufacturing Campus developed by CenterPoint Properties . Ford's Chicago plant is a center for flexible just-in-time production. As of 2023
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1952-550: The Ford Web site stated that it employed about 5,800 workers, mostly paid per hour. As of 2022 there were concerns that Ford's phasing out of internal combustion-engined vehicles in favour of electric vehicles could throw into question the future of the Torrence Avenue complex. As of 2023, the following vehicles are produced at Chicago Assembly Plant: River Rouge Plant The Ford River Rouge complex (commonly known as
2013-682: The Neopalatial period, 1700–1600 BC), the Oxtotitlán cave and Juxtlahuaca in Mexico (around 1200–900 BC) and in Pompeii (around 100 BC – AD 79). During the Middle Ages murals were usually executed on dry plaster (secco). The huge collection of Kerala mural painting dating from the 14th century are examples of fresco secco . In Italy, c. 1300 , the technique of painting of frescos on wet plaster
2074-534: The Rouge complex have been renovated and converted to "green" structures with a number of environmentally friendly features. In the summer of 1932, through Edsel Ford 's support, Mexican artist Diego Rivera was invited to study the facilities at the Rouge. These studies informed his set of murals known as Detroit Industry . The plant's first products were Eagle Boats , World War I anti-submarine warfare boats produced in Building B. The original Building B,
2135-537: The Rouge, with the introduction of the Ford Model A. During World War II the Rouge complex produced jeeps, aircraft engines, aircraft components and parts, tires and tubes, armor plate, and tractors. Other Rouge products included the 1932 Model B , the original Mercury , the Ford Thunderbird , Mercury Capri , and four decades of Ford Mustangs . The old assembly plant was idled with the construction and launch of
2196-419: The advantages of a secco work. In Greco-Roman times, mostly encaustic colors applied in a cold state were used. Tempera painting is one of the oldest known methods in mural painting. In tempera, the pigments are bound in an albuminous medium such as egg yolk or egg white diluted in water. In 16th-century Europe, oil painting on canvas arose as an easier method for mural painting. The advantage
2257-450: The air: it is this chemical reaction which fixes the pigment particles in the plaster. After this, the painting stays for a long time up to centuries in fresh and brilliant colors. Fresco-secco painting is done on dry plaster ( secco is "dry" in Italian). The pigments thus require a binding medium, such as egg ( tempera ), glue or oil to attach the pigment to the wall. Mezzo-fresco
2318-434: The allure and exclusivity of original artwork. They are often not fitted to the individual wall sizes of the client and their personal ideas or wishes cannot be added to the mural as it progresses. The Frescography technique, a digital manufacturing method ( CAM ) invented by Rainer Maria Latzke addresses some of the personalisation and size restrictions. Digital techniques are commonly used in advertisements. A "wallscape"
2379-701: The capitol, but the Colombian Army stopped them. Years later, in the 1980s, with liberals in charge of the Congress, they passed a resolution to turn the whole chamber in the Elliptic Room 90 degrees to put the main mural on the side and commissioned Alejandro Obregon to paint a non-partisan mural in the surrealist style. In Chile, the Romana Parra Brigade painted political murals in support of workers rights and Communism. Northern Ireland contains some of
2440-601: The complex are represented by UAW Local 600. A fleet of three Ford-owned Great Lakes freighters initially named for the Ford grandsons and later renamed for top company executives, was based at the River Rouge Plant. The deckhouse of the SS Benson Ford was transported by crane barge to Put-in-Bay, Ohio and placed on an 18-foot cliff as a private home above Lake Erie. In September, 2020 Ford announced construction of
2501-544: The design or image. Mosaic murals are made by combining small 1/4" to 2" size pieces of colorful stone, ceramic, or glass tiles which are then laid out to create a picture. Modern day technology has allowed commercial mosaic mural makers to use computer programs to separate photographs into colors that are automatically cut and glued onto sheets of mesh creating precise murals fast and in large quantities. The azulejo ( Portuguese pronunciation: [ɐzuˈleʒu] , Spanish pronunciation: [aθuˈlexo] ) refers to
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2562-514: The effect of either a hand-painted mural or realistic scene. A special type of mural painting is Lüftlmalerei , still practised today in the villages of the Alpine valleys. Well-known examples of such façade designs from the 18th and 19th centuries can be found in Mittenwald , Garmisch , Unter- and Oberammergau . In the history of murals, several methods have been used: A fresco painting, from
2623-423: The last vehicle built at the historic site. Demolition of the historic DAP facility was completed in 2008. All that remains is a 3000 place parking lot to hold light truck production from the new Dearborn Truck Plant. Today, the Rouge site is home to Ford's Rouge Center. This industrial park includes six Ford factories on 600 acres (2.4 km ) of land, as well as steelmaking operations run by Cleveland Cliffs,
2684-485: The most famous political murals in the world. Almost 2,000 murals have been documented in Northern Ireland since the 1970s. In recent times, many murals are non-sectarian, concerning political and social issues such as racism and environmentalism, and many are completely apolitical, depicting children at play and scenes from everyday life. (See Northern Irish murals .) A not political, but social related mural covers
2745-480: The new Rouge Electric Vehicle Center, where their electric vehicles will be produced. In 2021, the vehicle center opened, and Ford's first all electric truck, the Ford F-150 Lightning , will be the first vehicle model produced there. In 1999, architect William McDonough entered into an agreement with Ford Motor Company to redesign its 85-year-old, 1,212-acre (490 ha) Rouge River facility. The roof of
2806-760: The norm for advertisements in cities across America, before the introduction of vinyl and digital posters. It was an expensive form of advertising with strict signage laws but gained attention and improved local aesthetics. Other world-famous murals can be found in Mexico , New York City , Philadelphia , Belfast , Derry , Los Angeles , Nicaragua , Cuba , the Philippines , and in India . They have functioned as an important means of communication for members of socially, ethnically and racially divided communities in times of conflict. They also proved to be an effective tool in establishing
2867-486: The power plant. Michigan Utility CMS Energy built a state-of-the-art Power Plant across Miller Road to replace the electricity and steam production, as well as the blast furnace waste gas consumption of the original power plant. As it ended production, Dearborn Assembly Plant was one of six plants within the Ford Rouge Center. The plant was open from 1918 to May 10, 2004, with a red convertible 2004 Ford Mustang GT being
2928-455: The propagandist character of that works, some of them still have an artistic value. Murals can have a dramatic impact whether consciously or subconsciously on the attitudes of passers-by, when they are added to areas where people live and work. It can also be argued that the presence of large, public murals can add aesthetic improvement to the daily lives of residents or that of employees at a corporate venue. Large-format hand-painted murals were
2989-404: The public sphere. Due to the size, cost, and work involved in creating a mural, muralists must often be commissioned by a sponsor. Often it is the local government or a business, but many murals have been paid for with grants of patronage . For artists, their work gets a wide audience who otherwise might not set foot in an art gallery. A city benefits by the beauty of a work of art. Murals can be
3050-431: The surface of an existing wall. They are also inlaid into floors. Mural tiles are painted, glazed, sublimation printed (as described below) or more traditionally cut out of stone, ceramic, mosaic glass(opaque) and stained glass. Some artists use pottery and plates broken into pieces. Unlike the traditional painted murals described above, tile murals are always made by fitting pieces of the selected materials together to create
3111-494: The titanic Rouge was able to turn raw materials into running vehicles within this single complex, a prime example of vertical-integration production. Some of the River Rouge buildings were designed by architect Albert Kahn . His Rouge glass plant was regarded at the time as an exemplary and humane factory building, with ample natural light provided through windows in the ceiling. Since the late 20th century, several buildings at
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#17330860428263172-569: The traditional art and culture of their society or events from their history in their homes. Ethnic murals have become an important form of interior decoration. Warli painting murals are becoming a preferred mode of wall decor in India. Warli painting is an ancient Indian art form in which the tribal people used to depict different phases of their life on the walls of their mud houses. Tile murals are murals made out of stone, ceramic, porcelain, glass and or metal tiles that are installed within, or added onto
3233-444: The wall and traced with pencil before painting begins. Some muralists will paint directly without any prior sketching, preferring the spontaneous technique. Once completed the mural can be given coats of varnish or protective acrylic glaze to protect the work from UV rays and surface damage. In modern, quick form of muralling, young enthusiasts also use POP clay mixed with glue or bond to give desired models on canvas board. The canvas
3294-507: The walls. Densely built-up areas of housing may also contribute to people's feelings of being cut off from nature in its free form. A mural commission of this sort may be an attempt by some people to re-establish a balance with nature. Commissions of murals in schools, hospitals, and retirement homes can achieve a pleasing and welcoming atmosphere in these caring institutions. Murals in other public buildings, such as public houses are also common. Recently, graffiti and street art have played
3355-549: The word mural began to be used at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1906, Dr. Atl issued a manifesto calling for the development of a monumental public art movement in Mexico; he named it in Spanish pintura mural (English: wall painting ). In ancient Roman times, a mural crown was given to the fighter who was first to scale the wall of a besieged town. "Mural" comes from the Latin muralis , meaning "wall painting". This word
3416-486: The works of mural artists like Graham Rust or Rainer Maria Latzke in the 1980s, trompe-l'œil painting has experienced a renaissance in private and public buildings in Europe. Today, the beauty of a wall mural has become much more widely available with a technique whereby a painting or photographic image is transferred to poster paper or canvas which is then pasted to a wall surface (see wallpaper , Frescography ) to give
3477-619: Was chosen to host the 2010 Global Mural Conference. The town had more than twelve murals completed, and hosted the Conference along with Dothan, Alabama , and Blakely, Georgia . The Mexican mural movement in the 1930s brought new prominence to murals as a social and political tool. Diego Rivera , José Orozco and David Siqueiros were the most famous artists of the movement. Between 1932 and 1940, Rivera also painted murals in San Francisco , Detroit , and New York City . In 1933, he completed
3538-517: Was designated as a National Historic Landmark District in 1978 for its architecture and historical importance to the industry and economy of the United States. The Rouge complex measures 1.5 miles (2.4 km) wide by 1 mile (1.6 km) long, including 93 buildings with nearly 16 million square feet (1.5 km ) of factory floor space. With its own docks in the dredged Rouge River , 100 miles (160 km) of interior railroad track, its own electricity plant , and integrated steel mill ,
3599-556: Was not protected, so everybody could paint on the Wall. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the Eastern side of the Wall became also a popular "canvas" for many mural and graffiti artists. Orgosolo , in Sardinia , is a most important center of murals politics . It is also common for mural graffiti to be used as a memoir. In the 2001 book Somebody Told Me , Rick Bragg writes about
3660-500: Was reintroduced and led to a significant increase in the quality of mural painting. The term mural became better known with the Mexican muralism art movement ( Diego Rivera , David Siqueiros and José Orozco ). The first mural painted in the 20th century, was “El árbol de la vida”, by Roberto Montenegro . There are many different styles and techniques. The best-known is probably fresco , which uses pigments dispersed in water with
3721-566: Was that the artwork could be completed in the artist's studio and later transported to its destination and there attached to the wall or ceiling. Oil paint may be a less satisfactory medium for murals because of its lack of brilliance in colour. Also, the pigments are yellowed by the binder or are more easily affected by atmospheric conditions. Different muralists tend to become experts in their preferred medium and application, whether that be oil paints, emulsion or acrylic paints applied by brush, roller or airbrush/aerosols. Clients will often ask for
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