Marfa, Texas
Marfa, Texas | |
|---|---|
 Presidio County courthouse in Marfa | |
 Location of Marfa in Presidio County, Texas | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Texas |
| Counties | Presidio |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Dan Dunlap |
| Area | |
• Total | 1.6 sq mi (4.1 km2) |
| • Land | 1.6 sq mi (4.1 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 4,685 ft (1,428 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
• Total | 1,981 |
| • Density | 1,354.6/sq mi (523.0/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 79843 |
| Area code | 432 |
| FIPS code | 48-46620Template:GR |
| GNIS feature ID | 1340942Template:GR |
Marfa is a town in the high desert of far West Texas and the county seat of Presidio County. Located between the Davis Mountains and Big Bend National Park, the population was 1,981 as of the 2010 United States Census. The town was founded in the early 1880s as a railroad stop, the population increased during World War II, but the growth stalled and reversed somewhat during the late 20th century.
Today Marfa is a tourist destination. Attractions include the historical architecture and classic Texas town square, modern art at the Chinati Foundation and in galleries around town, and the Marfa lights.
History
Marfa was founded in the early 1880s as a railroad water stop. The town derives its name from the wife of a railroad executive, who reportedly suggested the name "Marfa" after reading the name in the Fyodor Dostoevsky novel The Brothers Karamazov.[1] The town grew quickly during the 1920s. The Marfa Army Airfield served as a training facility for several thousand pilots during World War II, including the American actor Robert Sterling, before closing in 1945. The base was also used as the training ground for many of the U.S. Army's Chemical mortar battalions.
Geography
Marfa is located at 30°18′43″N 104°1′29″W / 30.31194°N 104.02472°W (30.311863, -104.024779)Template:GR. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km2), all land. The city is located in the Chihuahuan Desert, an underdeveloped region of about 140,000 square miles (~362,600 km²).
Arts and cultural life
Modern art
In 1971, Donald Judd, the renowned minimalist artist, moved to Marfa from New York City. After renting summer houses for a couple of years he bought two large hangars and some smaller buildings, and started to permanently install his art. While this started with his building in New York, the buildings in Marfa allowed him to install his works on a larger scale. In 1976 he bought the first of two ranches that would become his primary places of residence, continuing a long love affair with the desert landscape surrounding Marfa. Later, with assistance from the Dia Art Foundation in New York, Judd acquired decommissioned Fort D.A. Russell, and began transforming the fort's buildings into art spaces in 1979. Judd's vision was to house large collections of individual artists' work on permanent display, as a sort of anti-museum. Judd believed that the prevailing model of a museum, where art is shown for short periods of time, does not allow the viewer an understanding of the artist or their work as they intended.
Since Judd's death in 1994, two foundations have been working to maintain his legacy: the Chinati Foundation and Judd Foundation. Every year The Chinati Foundation holds an Open House event where artists, collectors, and enthusiasts come from around the world to visit Marfa's art. Since 1997 Open House has been co-sponsored by both foundations and attracts thousands of visitors from around the world. In 2008, the Chinati Foundation changed the format of the Open House weekend, eliminating various events. This significantly reduced the number of visitors. The Chinati Foundation now occupies more than 10 buildings at the site and has on permanent exhibit work by artists such as Ingólfur Arnarson, Dan Flavin, and Claes Oldenburg. In recent years, a new wave of artists has moved to Marfa to live and work. As a result, new gallery spaces have opened in the downtown area. Furthermore, The Lannan Foundation has established a writers-in-residency program, a Marfa theater group has formed, and a multi-functional art space called Ballroom Marfa has begun to show art films, host musical performances, and exhibit other art installations. The city is 37 miles (60 km) from Prada Marfa, a pop art exhibit.
Media
Marfa is home to NPR-affiliated station KRTS. Marfa houses the offices of the Big Bend Sentinel, a weekly newspaper covering the areas of Marfa, Fort Davis, Presidio, and far west Texas. Marfa Magazine is a yearly publication distributed out of Marfa Texas, founded and operated by Johnny Calderon, Jr. It focuses on current issues and general information about Marfa, Alpine, and Fort Davis.
Film
Various movie productions have filmed in and around parts of Marfa. The 1956 Warner Bros. film Giant, starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, James Dean, Sal Mineo, Carroll Baker and Dennis Hopper, was filmed in Marfa for two months. Director George Stevens actively encouraged the townspeople to visit the set, either to watch the shooting, visit with the cast and crew, or take part as extras, dialect coaches, bit players, and stagehands. In August 2006, two movie production units filmed in Marfa: There Will Be Blood, an adaptation of the Upton Sinclair novel Oil! directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, and the Coen Brothers' adaptation of the Cormac McCarthy novel No Country for Old Men.[2][3] Larry Clark's 2012 film Marfa Girl was filmed exclusively in Marfa.[4] Additionally, various musical artists have filmed music videos in the town, including Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Between the Buried and Me, and Diamond Rings. In 2008, Marfa held the first annual Marfa Film Festival, which lasted from May 1–5.
Marfa lights
Outside of Donald Judd and modern art, Marfa may be most famous for the Marfa lights, visible on clear nights between Marfa and the Paisano Pass when one is facing southwest (toward the Chinati Mountains). According to the Handbook of Texas Online, "...at times they appear colored as they twinkle in the distance. They move about, split apart, melt together, disappear, and reappear. Presidio County residents have watched the lights for over a hundred years. The first historical record of them dates to 1883.[5] Presidio County has built a viewing station nine miles east of town on U.S. 67 near the site of the old air base. Each year, enthusiasts gather for the annual Marfa Lights Festival. The lights have been featured and mentioned in various media, including the television show Unsolved Mysteries and an episode of King of the Hill ("Of Mice and Little Green Men") and in an episode of Disney Channel Original Series So Weird. A book by David Morrell, 2009's The Shimmer, was inspired by the lights.
Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census there were 1,981 people, 864 households, and 555 families residing in the city.Template:GR The population density was 1,354.6 people per square mile (521.6/km²). There were 1,126 housing units at an average density of 719.1 per square mile (276.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91% White, 0.28% African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 7.50% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 69.9% of the population. There were 863 households out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.99. In terms of age, the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 101.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $24,712, and the median income for a family was $32,328. Males had a median income of $25,804 versus $18,382 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,636. About 15.7% of families and 20.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.6% of those under age 18 and 26.9% of those age 65 or over.
Infrastructure
Marfa is served by the Marfa Independent School District. Marfa Elementary School and Marfa Junior/Senior High School, a part of the district, serve the city. As of October 1, 2009 the city no longer has a local police department. The Presidio County Sheriff's Department patrols the city as well as the county as a whole. Presidio County also operates the Marfa Municipal Airport, located north of the city in unincorporated Presidio County. Commercial air service is available at either Midland International Airport, 180 miles (290 km) northeast, or El Paso International Airport, 190 miles (310 km) northwest. Greyhound Lines operates an intercity bus service from the Western Union office,[6] and Amtrak's Sunset Limited, which operates between New Orleans and Los Angeles, passes through the city, but does not stop. The nearest station is located in Alpine.
References
- ^ "Wilson, Thomas (2001). "How Marfa, Texas Got Its Name". Journal of Big Bend Studies. Sul Ross State University. Archived from the original on 2008-11-21. Retrieved 2012-09-11.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Whitney Joiner, "Postcard: Marfa. A far-flung Texas town stars in two of this year's Oscar-nominated films. Yet a proposed truck route could end its precious seclusion. The battle to stay off the beaten path," TIME 171.8 (February 25, 2008): 6.
- ^ Marfa (pop 2,400), the desert town that will be the star of the OscarsDaily Telegraph article by Catherine Elsworth in Issue 47,499 dated 21 February 2008
- ^ "Five Questions with Marfa Girl Director Larry Clark". Filmmaker Magazine. 2012-11-14. Retrieved 2012-11-21.
- ^ "Marfa lights." Handbook of Texas.
- ^ "Marfa, Texas." Greyhound Lines.
External links
- Judd Foundation
- The Big Bend Sentinel - local newspaper.
- The Chinati Foundation/La Fundación Chinati
- [1] - Marfa Film Festival
- View Historic Photos of Marfa from the Marfa Public Library, hosted by the Portal to Texas History
- Marfa Chamber of Commerce
- West Texas Weekly- a local weekly newspaper.
- Marfa! Marfa! Marfa! - 1998 article by Magdalin Leonardo
- Marfa Magazine- a local yearly magazine.
- "Far Out Far West Texas" from The Texas Observer
- Image of the Prada Shop in Marfa from "The Art of Texas" by Sean Thomas published on The First Post
Municipalities and communities of Presidio County, Texas, United States | ||
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