1. Where in Texas is Marfa?
Marfa is in west Texas, ranch country. Marfa is 194.68 miles Southeast of El Paso, TX and about 600 miles West of Houston..
2. Is Marfa a large town?
No, the population is around 2,200.
3. Well, it must have a large town near it?
No, Marfa is a link in a chain of small towns along TX Hwy 90. This chain includes Van Horn, Lobo, Valentine, Marfa, Alpine, Marathon, etc….. I would call all of these small towns.
4. So how do you sell art in a town out in the middle of nowhere with very little population?
Yes, this is the question; so let me start from the beginning:
First, Marfa was the home to Native Americans including the La Junta and Juamano. The Spanish have made Marfa their home, later to become Mexican citizens. Anglo ranchers arrived, and the Anglo army also made Marfa, Camp Marfa.
From the early 20th century the movie industry made movies in and around Marfa, perhaps the most famous being Giant with Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean and Rock Hudson.
The US government put in an air base. Here is the most important tie to art Marfa has: The government shut down their base and opened their property to be sold to private individuals. In the 1970’s, noted minimalist sculptor Donald Judd bought much that was remaining to be transformed into permanent art installations, galleries and offices for what is now the Chinati Foundation.
People come from all over the world to visit the Chinati Foundation. Judd has since passed away, but the Chinati Foundation is alive and well. Artist and Galleries, whom forever gravitate to cheap real estate, started settling in Marfa.
The movie industry is becoming big time in Marfa. The latest Films (that I know of) filmed in Marfa are No Country for Old Men and There Will be Blood. If you have seen these films then you have a pretty good idea of what the Marfa area looks like.
Lastly, people (artists, people with disposable incomes, and movie people) have vacation or second homes in and around Marfa. This isn’t Palm Springs type of people, but artistic people who like the simple existence of west Texas. I have yet to see any large mansions. I have heard that Tommy Lee Jones and Thomas Hayden Church have big ranches near Marfa.
5. Besides coming to see my show at Galleri Urbane opening February 15th, 2008, what other things are there to do in Marfa?
There is a lot to do in and around Marfa. There are other galleries in Marfa and a great art/cafe house. There are some bizarrely upscale restaurants that aren’t always open , expensive and tend to run out of food – but they are good and worth visiting. I think there is one thrift store. I haven’t found any craft stores. There is one small grocery store, but it closes early.
There is lots of history here and even more if you head up to Fort Davis. Many people travel to Marfa for the Chinati Foundation open houses. Chinati is not open everyday. There is a place called the Ballroom, which appears to have concerts and other events. Marfa is a great place to get away from the hassles of life. It has beautiful, stark open spaces. The people tend to be very art savvy and friendly.
6. Is that it?…
NO, there are the Marfa Lights. These are weird lights that appear, at night, between Marfa and Alpine. They have been occurring for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. They are so frequent that an official lookout point can be found east of Marfa along Hwy 90. No one has been able to figure out what causes the lights. They appear on the dark horizon, stand still, move up and down, back and forth, and maybe even a little to and fro. The lights move fast and slow. They are in different colors. Last time I was in Marfa I was able to witness them. It was very cool.
So, If you are in the neighborhood please come and check out Marfa, TX and Galleri Urbane to see my art. You’ll get extra brownie points for doing so.
Please check out http://www.marfatx.com for more information on Marfa, Texas.
Galleri Urbane website: www.galleriurbane.com
hi andrea, thanks for lovely comment on my blog.
i love this post you just did, i got completely interested in merfa and even linked to marfatx website. they should be paying you a commission for promoting the place internationally. i would definitely visit if ever i was in texas again. what a cool post, and even cooler that you’ll be exhibiting there, i hope it goes really well.
[...] Where or what is a Marfa, Tx? Click here for a past blog I wrote about Marfa : http://zuill.us/andreablog/2008/01/15/upcoming-show-in-marfa-tx-but-wait-what-and-where-is-marfa/ [...]