Mexican artist Diego Rivera came to Detroit in 1932 to paint a monumental series of murals dedicated to Detroit’s industry and its workers.

The Detroit Industry Murals are frescoes on four walls of the Detroit Institute of Arts Garden Court, depicting Ford’s River Rouge auto factory and other industrial sites. Rivera painted images of the earth, geology, connecting the natural realm with the industrial world, and the factory workers are front and center, as heroic figures.

Host Scott Tong speaks with Benjamin Colman, curator of American art at the Detroit Institute of Arts, about the murals.

One of Diego Rivera's murals on the North Wall. (Courtesy of the Detroit Institute of Arts)One of Diego Rivera’s murals on the North Wall. (Courtesy of the Detroit Institute of Arts)One of Diego Rivera's murals on the South Wall. (Courtesy of the Detroit Institute of Arts)One of Diego Rivera’s murals on the South Wall. (Courtesy of the Detroit Institute of Arts)

This segment aired on July 15, 2026.