Marfa´s Art Scene

The Pillars of the Scene

• The Chinati Foundation: This is the spiritual heart of Marfa. It’s a 340-acre site where Judd’s 15 massive concrete works march along the desert border and 100 milled aluminum boxes live in former artillery sheds. The light changes the art every hour; it’s a site-specific experience that makes traditional museums feel cramped and artificial.

• Judd Foundation (The Block): This was Judd’s residence and studio. Walking through it feels like stepping into a private, meticulously ordered universe. It houses his personal library of 13,000 books and early paintings, all preserved exactly as he left them.

• Ballroom Marfa: Housed in a 1920s dance hall, this non-profit is the engine of the town's contemporary energy. They commission leading-edge visual arts, film, and music, including the solar-powered Stone Circle and the world-famous Prada Marfa installation (technically located just up the road in Valentine).

Beyond the big foundations, Marfa operates on "desert time." Signage is often non-existent or intentionally obscure. You might walk past a building that looks like a lumberyard, only to find it’s actually a collective of high-end woodworkers and painters.

• Galleries & Studios: Spaces like Hetzler | Marfa, Eugene Binder, and Rule Gallery bring a rotating door of international talent to town.

• The "Specific Object" Vibe: There is a pervasive local obsession with craftsmanship—from the hand-sawed boots at Cobra Rock to the mid-century hoop chairs at Cast & Crew.

Chinati Foundation

• 1 Cavalry Row, Marfa, TX 79843

• https://chinati.org/

• https://www.instagram.com/chinatifoundation

Judd Foundation

• 104 S Highland Ave, Marfa, TX 79843

• https://juddfoundation.org/

• https://www.instagram.com/juddfoundation

Ballroom Marfa

• 108 E San Antonio St, Marfa, TX 79843

• https://ballroommarfa.org/

• https://www.instagram.com/ballroommarfa

INDE/Jacobs

• 208 E San Antonio St, Marfa, TX 79843

• https://indejacobs.com/

• https://www.instagram.com/indejacobs

RULE Gallery

• 204 E San Antonio St, Marfa, TX 79843

• https://rulegallery.com/

• https://www.instagram.com/rule_gallery

Marfa Open

• 102 S Plateau St, Marfa, TX 79843

• https://marfaopen.org/

• https://www.instagram.com/marfaopen

Marfa Art Garage

• 604 E Salgado St, Marfa, TX 79843

• https://marfaartgarage.com/

• https://www.instagram.com/marfaartgarage

Ayn Foundation

• 107-109 N Highland Ave, Marfa, TX 79843

Building 98

• 705 W Bonnie St, Marfa, TX 79843

• https://building98.org/