Chinati Foundation

THE MISSION OF THE CHINATI FOUNDATION LA FUNDACION CHINATI IS TO PRESERVE THE VISION OF THE ARTIST DONALD JUDD (1928-1994), WHO IN 1986 FOUNDED THE ORGANIZATION AS A UNIQUE MUSEUM. IT WAS JUDD'S GOAL TO BRING ART, ARCHITECTURE, AND THE LAND TOGETHER TO FORM A COHERENT WHOLE.

TO PRESERVE THE CHINATI FOUNDATION'S PERMANENT ART COLLECTION AND PRESENT IT TO THE PUBLIC: THE MUSEUM IS LOCATED ON 340 ACRES OF LAND ON THE SITE OF THE FORMER FORT D.A. RUSSELL IN THE SMALL TOWN OF MARFA, TEXAS. WITH FUNDS PROVIDED BY THE DIA ART FOUNDATION, REPAIRS AND RENOVATIONS OF THE HISTORIC BUILDINGS WERE BEGUN IN 1979, FOLLOWED BY THE INSTALLATIONS OF ART WORKS. IN 1986, CHINATI OPENED TO THE PUBLIC AS AN INDEPENDENT, NON-PROFIT, PUBLICLY FUNDED ORGANIZATION. THE ORIGINAL CONCEPT WAS TO FOCUS ON WORK BY DONALD JUDD, DAN FLAVIN, AND JOHN CHAMBERLAIN, WHO ARE REPRESENTED IN THE COLLECTION BY 15 OUTDOOR WORKS IN CONCRETE, AND 100 MILL ALUMINUM WORKS IN TWO CONVERTED ARTILLERY SHEDS (DONALD JUDD); ILLUMINATIONS IN COLORED FLUORESCENT LIGHT IN SIX FORMER BARRACKS (DAN FLAVIN); AND 225 SCULPTURES INSTALLED IN A RENOVATED WAREHOUSE (JOHN CHAMBERLAIN). SUBSEQUENTLY, JUDD DECIDED TO EXPAND THE COLLECTION TO INCLUDE WORKS BY CLAES OLDENBURG & COOSJE VAN BRUGGEN, RICHARD LONG, RONI HORN, DAVID RABINOWITCH, ILYA KABAKOV, AND INGOLFUR ARNARSSON. FOLLOWING HIS DEATH IN 1994, THE MUSEUM REALIZED PROJECTS, ADHERING TO JUDD'S IDEAS INCLUDING CARL ANDRE'S POEMS (1995(, DAN FLAVIN'S INSTALLATIONS (2000), AND JOHN WESLEY'S GALLERY OF PAINTINGS (2004). FURTHER ADDITIONS TO THE COLLECTIONS WILL ALSO STRICKLY FOLLOW THE PARAMETERS SET BY JUDD AND WILL ALWAYS BE GUIDED BY HIS INTERESTES AND INTENTIONS OF AN ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH ART, ARCHITECTURE, AND THE LAND EXIST IN MUTUAL AESTHETIC HARMONY. DUE TO THE LARGE SIZE AND SCALE OF THE MUSEUM AND ITS GROUNDS, THE CHINATI FOUNDATION IS ACCESSIBLE BY GUIDED TOUR ONLY. PUBLIC TOURS OF THE COLLECTIONS ARE AVAILABLE WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. CONSERVATION OF THE COLLECTION AND MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR OF THE BUILDINGS HOUSING THE COLLECTION ARE ONGOING EFFORTS.

PROGRAMS: CHINATI SPONSORS PROGRAMS INITIATED BY JUDD ESTABLISHING LINKS TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, OTHER CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS AND UNIVERSITIES IN THE US AND ABROAD. THESE INCLUDE ARTISTS' RESIDENCIES, SUMMER ART CLASSES FOR LOCAL CHILDREN, INTERNSHIPS, TEMPORARY ART EXHIBITIONS, PUBLICATIONS AND SYMPOSIA. THE CHINATI FOUNDATION WILL CONTINUE THESE PROGRAMS HOSTING INTERNS AND ARTISTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD, PUBLISHING ITS ANNUAL NEWSLETTER WITH SCHOLARLY ESSAYS AND MUSEUM INFORMATION IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH, CONDUCTING ITS SUMMER ARTS CLASSES AND ADDITIONAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR FOR AREA RESIDENTS, SPONSORING SYMPOSIA (EVERY FEW YEARS) AND TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS (ANNUALLY) RELATED TO CHINATI'S COLLECTION AND JUDD'S VISION. CHINATI'S EMPHASIS REMAINS ON THE PERMANENT COLLECTION; ITS DEVELOPMENT, MAINTENANCE AND CONSERVATION WILL BE A CORNERSTONE FOR THE MUSEUM'S EFFORTS IN THE COMING YEARS. IN ALL OF ITS ACTIVITIES THE MUSEUM IS GUIDED BY THE IDEAS OF ITS FOUNDER AND HIS PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH THAT ART IS ESSENTIAL TO LIFE, AND CREATED WITH THE CONCERN OF ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THE CONSTRUCTED AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. CHINATI'S COLLECTION AND PROGRAMS REFLECT JUDD'S BELIEF OF A MULTI-LAYERED WORLD, IN WHICH THE COMPONENTS ARE JOINT BUT DISTINCT.