1976–1985
“Without this industry, we wouldn’t be what we are today.” —Italian Sculptor Virginio Ferrari
As the Tool & Die Institute entered its sixth decade of serving small and midsize manufacturers mostly around Chicago, international trade interests shifted toward the People’s Republic of China.
President Richard M. Nixon made an unprecedented trip to the Far East to explore the potential for exports and imports with the Communist regime. By 1980, the U.S.-China Trade Agreement further strengthened trade relations by granting “most-favored nation” status to Chinese exports.
The possibility of a large new market and peaceful trade relations with China sparked renewed enthusiasm among U.S. businesses. At that time, little attention was paid to China’s comparatively lower labor costs and the intense technological competition that America’s new relationship with China would soon uncover.
In 1981, the Tool & Die Institute embarked on an exciting artistic project that would work to improve and broaden the manufacturing industry’s global reputation.
The “vehicle” discovered for such an important purpose, then-Executive Vice President Tom DePinto wrote, was one “which will propel our industry into the societal position it so richly deserves.” The discovery was called the “Sculpture Project,’ to create a link between manufacturing and modern art, serving as a lasting symbol of the high level of skill and craftsmanship in precision metalworking.
The Italian sculptor Virginia Ferrari described his creation, “Being Born” in this way:
The concept of this sculpture came about after talking with people in the Precision Metalworking Industry and visiting various plants. The sculpture I’m proposing consists of two circular shapes, one inside the other. I am using the circular element, which symbolizes the precision and the skills of this industry. One circle is molded around an inner circle showing the energy and strength of the fabrication of tool, die, jig, and fixture. At one point, the piece is left open symbolizing the process of being completed yet keeping open the thought of a growing industry. The detail of the surface has elements which are being used in the processes of the Tool and Die Industry. The two stainless steel elements fit exactly into each other, symbolizing the process of die making and representing the high quality and durability of the metalworking industry.
“Being Born” is the total concept I received from seeing and absorbing, through this wonderful experience, the combination of art and technology and technology and art, and the high professional quality the tool and die industry gives society combined with the creativity of the arts toward the cultural life. In this sculpture we tried to symbolize the birth of life. In this case it is the creation from a raw insignificant piece of metal, through the process of shaping and molding, of a very precisely detailed final stage we are using in modern society. Without this industry we wouldn’t be what we are today.”
The sculpture made of stainless steel stands 19 feet tall, 20 feet wide, and is positioned in a black marble reflecting pool that measures 18 feet across. With the City of Chicago’s approval, the masterpiece was installed in 1983 on the State Street Mall at the northeast corner of State and Washington Streets.
“We as an association of businessmen truly have an outstanding opportunity to collectively heighten the image of our industry… Think of the Sculpture as an investment in the future of your industry, an investment that will pay for itself many times over,” wrote Robert M. Atols, President of the Tool & Die Institute at the time of the Sculpture Project campaign.
Indeed, the “Being Born” sculpture attracted significant Chicago media attention and industry respect as the nation experienced an economic recovery from a recession that began in the late 1970s.
