Chinati Foundation
- Date:
- 1986 - present
- Related People:
- Donald Judd
Chinati Foundation, contemporary art museum in Marfa, Texas, dedicated to exhibiting works according to the principles of its founder, American minimalist artist Donald Judd.
(Read Sister Wendy’s Britannica essay on art appreciation.)
The Chinati Foundation is situated on 340 acres (138 hectares) of land formerly occupied by the Fort Russell military base. The museum opened in 1986 for the purpose of exhibiting the large-scale permanent installations of artists John Chamberlain, Dan Flavin, and Donald Judd. The members of the foundation held that certain artworks should permanently reside in one location, their context and placement functioning as inseparable elements of the pieces. Thus, the museum exhibits large, fixed works by a select few artists. The work of each artist is displayed in a separate building, often former military structures such as barracks, hangars, or artillery sheds. Other works are displayed outdoors. In each instance, the work has been designed and placed to interact with its surroundings. Collection highlights include 15 outdoor concrete works and 100 aluminum works by Judd, 25 sculptures by Chamberlain, and pieces by Carl Andre, Ingólfur Arnarsson, Roni Horn, Ilya Kabakov, Richard Long, David Rabinowitch, and others. The museum also houses temporary exhibitions featuring mostly large-scale contemporary works.
The Chinati Foundation sponsors art programs for children and provides residences for emerging and established artists as well.
(Read Glenn Lowry’s Britannica essay on "Art Museums & Their Digital Future.")