Shadows and Light at Chinati

Cool Instagram photo by photographer Brandon Thibodeaux of the Dan Flavin installation at Chinati Foundation in Marfa.

Chinati Community Day, April 27th

From the Chinati Foundation website:

"The Chinati Foundation and Judd Foundation warmly invite everyone to their annual Community Day celebration on Sunday, April 27, 2014. Festivities will take place throughout the day, from 1 – 7:00 PM. All events are free and open to the public and everyone is welcome.

Exhibition spaces at Judd Foundation and Chinati will be open from 1 – 5:00 pm. La Mansana de Chinati/The Block, Donald Judd’s former residence and studios with permanent installations of his early works, will be open for self-guided visits.

Visitors may explore selections from Chinati’s permanent collection including the John Chamberlain building, Dan Flavin’s Untitled (Marfa Project), Donald Judd’s 100 works in mill aluminum and 15 works in concrete, Richard Long’s Sea Lava Circles, and Claus Oldenburg and Coosje von Bruggen’s Monument to the Last Horse.  Donald Judd: Prints, Chinati’s 2013-14 special exhibition curated by Director Emerita Marianne Stockebrand, features 70 works on paper as well as a wall work and various pieces of Judd’s furniture. Zoe Leonard’s 100 North Nevill Street, Chinati’s special exhibition at the Ice Plant, will also be open for self-guided visits throughout the afternoon.

A special student exhibition of pinhole photographs by sixty Marfa and Ft. Davis junior high and high school artists will open at Chinati, in the Arena, at 1:30 pm. The photographs were created during studio classes led by Chinati’s education staff as part of each school’s fine arts curriculum.

A nature walk on the Chinati grounds and discussion of Donald Judd’s outdoor works in concrete will be co-presented by Monte Riggs, Tierra Grande Texas Master Naturalist, and Jenny Moore, Chinati Foundation Executive Director, beginning at 2:30 pm in the Chinati courtyard. Participants will be introduced to examples of native grasses and provided with field guides, notebooks, and other tools for exploring the grounds and artworks.

A community dinner with barbeque by Juan and David Martinez and family and beverages by Big Bend Brewing will be served in the Arena, at Chinati, from 5 – 7:00 pm with live music by Mariachi Alegre, of El Paso.

Remnant of Fort D.A. Russell still visible in Marfa

The Chinati Foundation is located at 1 Cavalry Row, on the former Ft DA Russell grounds. La Mansana de Chinati/The Block, The John Chamberlain Building, and Zoe Leonard’s 100 North Nevill Street are located in downtown Marfa. Maps of exhibition spaces and a full schedule of events will be available at the Chinati front office and at all downtown locations on the day of the event.

Community Day is supported with generous grants from Elke and Wilhelm Hoppe Endowment, Texas Commission on the Arts, The Charles Englehard Foundation, The George & Mary Josephine Hamman Foundation, The Carl B. & Florence E. King Foundation, and The Trull Foundation. Chinati also acknowledges the generous financial and in-kind contributions of Laura Belkin, Joey Benton, Big Bend Brewing, Big Bend Sentinel, exhibitions 2d, Pueblo Market, Beth Nobles, Monte Riggs, Tierra Grande Texas Master Naturalists, and Victoria J. Welsh.

For more information, contact Chinati at 432 729 4362 or information@chinati.org.

#30DaysofBiking

Our Texas Mountain Trail region is a terrific place for bike touring.  Here's an itinerary we created and posted on Adventure Cycling Association's Bike Overnights blog! 

Click here to read the itinerary which includes visits to Marfa, Fort Davis, Alpine and Marathon!

Marfa's Art: Chinati Foundation Self-Guided Visits

The Chinati Foundation is now listing some self-guided visit options to some collections in Marfa.  Last weekend, on a rare icy and foggy day, we took advantage of this opportunity to visit the Donald Judd 15 Untitled Works in Concrete.

Chinati's website says this about visiting the boxes:

"Visitors may walk the kilometer long outdoor path and view Judd's 15 works in concrete free of charge, Wednesday-Sunday, 9 am to 5 pm.  The work is located on the main Chinati campus.  Access to the work is on a rocky, uneven path approximately 1.5 miles in length, round trip.  Please check in at the front office before visiting these works."

There are two other self-guided visit opportunities, the Donald Judd 100 Works in Mill Aluminum (fee) and a special exhibition, Zoe Leonard 100 North Neville.  Check this page for details.

The main Chinati Foundation campus is the site of the former Fort D.A. Russell, and the architecture still evokes the feeling of being on an old military base.

Click HERE to read a short history of Fort D.A. Russell.

For Chinati Weekend: World Monuments Fund Names Chinati Foundation to 2014 Watch List

This is one of the times Marfa fills with art lovers; today begins Chinati Weekend with special programs and exhibitions around town, some free to the public.  The full schedule, provided by the Chinati Foundation is here.

Of note is the recent news that the World Monuments Fund named the Chinati Foundation to their 2014 Watch List.  (Click here to read the entire list.) From the Chinati website:

"World Monuments Fund is the leading independent organization devoted to saving the world's treasured places.  For nearly fifty years, in one hundred countries, the World Monuments Fund has worked to preserve the world's architectural and cultural heritage represented by great buildings and sites that define a particular period of artistic expression or that symbolize a cultural era."

"The 2014 Watch features sixty-seven sites in forty-one countries and territories on five continents.  The Chinati Foundation is only one of six sites chosen in the United States."

"The 2014 WATCH press release, issued by World Monuments Fund on October 8, 2013, states," A recurring theme of the Watch has been the need to recognize the importance and special issues of the architecture of the recent past."

"Saving modern heritage sites begins with recognition of their significance, and also requires an innovative approach to conservation work, dealing with materials that were unconventional and innovative themselves at themselves at the time of the buildings' construction."

"The international attention provided by this designation will help Chinati expand awareness of the museum that Donald Judd established in Marfa, Texas.  It provides a vital tool to galvanize support from a variety of sources, including national and regional governments, foundations, corporate sponsors, and private donors.  We look forward to updating you as we work in concert with the World Monuments Fund to preserve The Chinati Foundation for future generations."

Two apps to help you get insider information!

If you're looking for travel apps for our region, there's some good news!  A new regional travel app was launched this week to help visitors find the best of Marfa.



The new Marfa app, launched just yesterday, was designed for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, and was created by Buck Johnston, the developer behind marfalist.org, just in time for this year's Chinati Weekend.

The app for Marfa is particularly helpful because this small town has a scarcity of street signs (which can make it hard to find things) but plenty of "hidden jewels" for visitors to discover. Sometimes visitors arrive in the small town and wonder, "What is there to do?" and "Where is everyone?" The app will tell you what's happening, and the maps will help you find it!


We've always thought El Paso was a surprisingly charming city, you just had to get off the freeway and discover the neighborhoods and its history and culture. The Visit El Paso app, provided by the El Paso Convention and Visitors Bureau was updated this summer to include events in the city, and additional photos and videos. If you want some help finding your own adventure in the city, it also offers half- and full-day travel itineraries with stop-by-stop directions.  The Visit El Paso app was created by PhiDev, Inc.

On Your Way to the Mountains! Heading West to the Chinati Foundation? Here Are 4 Other Historical Sites With a New Art Twist to Check Out on the Way!

This "On Your Way to the Mountains" guest post was written by Nash Traylor of Fort Lancaster.  Fort Lancaster is located in our neighboring Texas Pecos Trail Region.

We see it all the time, especially in West Texas, once thriving communities or establishments slowly lose their vibrancy and fall into obscurity...Well if you are headed to see the Chinati Foundation in Marfa, Texas, these are 4 other sites across the Texas Pecos Trail and TexasForts Trail that have taken historically significant sites and made them relevant in today's society and ever evolving art culture!

View of the Chinati Foundation, site of Fort D.A. Russell
from the fort's Officers Row

Chinati Foundation, Texas Mountain Trail

What was once Fort D. A. Russell is now the Chinati Foundation (http://www.chinati.org/), a world renowned Contemporary Art Museum. Fort Russell was first established as a cavalry camp to protect the area during the tumultuous times of Mexican Revolutions and bandits in the early 1900’s. When Pancho Villa’s troops took Ojinaga, Chihuahua, refugees fled Mexico and were housed at this site before being transported on to El Paso. Fort Russell eventually became a site for heavy artillery in the mid-1930’s. As World War II got underway, Fort Russell played a crucial role in the preparation of America’s campaigns into Europe. When the regiments began to move towards the War front, Fort Russell became a camp for German prisoners-of-war, but once the war ended the Fort was quickly phased out as a military site.

Donald Judd and his constituents began bringing this site back into relevance in 1979, taking advantage of the open landscape and the unique lighting/space of the buildings. Today this site houses many permanent large-scale art installations. What is considered by many as Donald Judd’s masterpiece, is housed in two of the bases old artillery sheds. They engage the local community along with bringing new artistic innovations to the public. Read more about Fort D. A. Russell’s history here

1.    
Grace Museum, Texas Forts Trail Region

In the late 1880’s and early 1900’s, Abilene quickly became a boon for the cattle industry and their barons along the Pacific Railway. The Grace Hotel was built in 1909 in response to the growing industry. The Hotel, at one point, was the finest of its kind on the railroad between El Paso and Fort Worth, and was the crowning jewel of this booming town. Eventually, though, the decline of the railroad brought about the closing of this great institution.

Abilene began restoring their downtown in the 1980’s, and implemented their vision for a downtown Abilene museum. Today this unique building has transformed into The Grace Museum which houses the Art Museum, History Museum, and the Children’s Museum. A very diverse organization, it provides an experience for the whole family. Read more about the Grace Hotel history here.

2.     Firehouse Gallery Texas Pecos Trail Region

The southern transcontinental railroad line was built through San Felipe Del Rio in 1882, giving Del Rio the sense of permanence and prosperity it needed to survive. The Firehouse was eventually built in 1926 to house the Del Rio City Hall, Police/Fire Department, and jail, and played a crucial role in the management of this emerging border town.

Today the old Firehouse is home to the Del Rio Council for the Arts. They have a gallery with changing art exhibits, host programs/education from culinary to more traditional art classes, and puts on the First Friday Art Walk in downtown Del Rio at the beginning of every month.

3.     Glenn-Dowe House, Texas Pecos Trail Region

Del Rio, being both extremely historically and culturally rich, has another gallery in the Glenn-Dowe House. Daniel Glenn, a contractor, built this home in 1900-1901. With the easy access to the railroad, Mr. Glenn was able to import brick and wood for construction. Amazingly the home has only had 4 owners in its lifetime, meaning very little has structurally changed on the inside or outside of the Victorian Style House. Built on Garfield Avenue, one of the newest and widest streets in Del Rio at the time of construction, the Glenn-Dowe House is now owned by Adrián J. Falcón. Adrián’s gallery of Contemporary Modern Art is based out of this historic home, open to the public 4 days a week.

4.     Old Post Office Museum and Art Center, Texas Forts Trail Region

The Graham Post Office was a WPA project that started construction in 1935. The building itself is a great example of the architectural style Art Moderne, utilized during the Great Depression. The building has kept much of the artistic integrity over the decades.

The town of Graham and Young County has a diverse history with the American Indian Wars, the oil booms of the 1800’s and 1900’s, an extremely rich ranching culture, and a German prisoner-of-war encampment during World War II. Today these periods of history are on exhibit in the Graham Post Office, which is now the museum and art center. The art gallery has rotating exhibits featuring pieces by Texas artists.

Looking for more sites/events going on across our West Texas Regions? Contact Nash Traylor at Fort Lancaster, by email (nashtraylor@thc.state.tx.us) or phone (432.836.4391), Like Fort Lancaster on facebook, or visit their website.

Interested in a specific region? Contact Texas MountainTrail , Texas Pecos Trail, or Texas Forts Trail.

Thanks, Nash, for your article and enthusiasm for West Texas history and culture! 

Marfa's U.S.O. Hall....Visit it Today!

The interior of Marfa's U.S.O. Hall is nearly untouched from
its heyday during World War II.  Now the town's Visitor Center, you can
see it yourself...just south one block from the blinking light
in the center of town on Hwy 67 South.

Yesterday, we posted the 1941 Christmas menu from Fort D.A. Russell in Marfa, as part of our "Dining Along Historic Highways" series.  (See the full document--inside and out--HERE with our thanks to the Alpine's Museum of the Big Bend)   Today, take a look inside the U.S.O. Hall from that era! 

With the historical exhibits and photographs of soldiers and airmen, it takes little imagination to put yourself back into Marfa, 1941.

Read more about World War II in Texas, here.
Other Fort D.A. Russell sites you can visit in Marfa today include:
Building 98
Chinati Foundation

JOIN the Texas Mountain Trail!  Click HERE!

Marfa in World War II

View of the Chinati Foundation, formerly Fort D.A. Russell, Marfa

Marfa's new Tourism and Visitors Center is in their 1940 U.S.O. Hall just south of the intersection of Hwys 90 and 67.

Interior of Marfa's U.S.O. Hall with the original dance floor!

The Texas Historical Commission has a great brochure on Texas in World War II...here's the text on Marfa:

"Visitors searching for the mysterious Marfa Lights are actually gazing across the site of one of World War II’s top flight training installations, Marfa Army Air Field. Part of the base’s front gate remains near the Marfa Lights viewing station. Nearly 8,000 pilots once trained here in AT-17s, B-25s and P-38s on five wide runways up to 7,500 feet long. Marfa Army Air Field had a sister installation nearby, a World War I-era horse cavalry outpost called Fort D.A. Russell. The base trained U.S. soldiers and held nearly 200 German prisoners of war. Two POWs were artists who painted elaborate murals inside Building 98, where top U.S. generals socialized in the officers club. The paintings depict U.S. Western scenes as seen through the eyes of Germans who learned about cowboys from watching movies. The rare murals garnered Building 98 a spot in the National Register of Historic Places; the structure is also a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark.
 
Fort D.A. Russell closed in 1946 and various individuals bought the property. Three decades later, New York minimalist sculptor Donald Judd turned many of the structures into a contemporary art museum, the Chinati Foundation. A one-time warehouse, six former barracks and two artillery sheds now contain works by various artists."

Pillars, a remnant of Fort D.A. Russell, Marfa

You can download the entire brochure from this page.

Visiting Chinati in Marfa

The Chinati Foundation in Marfa exhibits some of the finest minimialist art in the country, including the work of Dan Flavin (shown here).  To read more about Chinati, including how to make reservations for a tour, click here.

An Artist's Home

Visitors from around the world flock to Marfa to see Donald Judd's home, work and Chinati Foundation. (This is a view the tour of Judd's home compound and courtyard.)

If you're a fan of minimalist art, you already know about Chinati..possibly the best place to view the work of Judd, Dan Flavin, John Chamberlain and others.

For information on Marfa, visit here and here.

For information on the Chinati Foundation, click here.

Donald Judd's Home in Marfa

Tours are available through the Chinati Foundation in Marfa a mecca for minimalist art lovers. Marfa offers visual and performing arts events and excellent restaurants, click here for more information about Chinati Foundation!