The Marfa.Org ®@ŋd¤m‡zЄ®

Fund-raisers Follow the Money to Your Vacation Town
Texas Town Morphs into Outpost for Art
Recent Additions to the Marfa.Org Gallery
Pics of Yo La Tengo: 1, 2, 3
State Approves La Entrada Trade Corridor Study
Builders Try to Nail Down Permit Issues at Workshop
Contribute to Marfa Public Radio, Special Offer
Maiya's Restaurant, New Website (thanks Gina)

Open House 2005 Program Announced

The Chinati and Judd Foundations have announced dates and program for Open House 2005, which will be held on Saturday and Sunday, October 8th and 9th.

"Highlights of this year’s Open House will be an exhibition of early foam sculptures and photographs by John Chamberlain; a special installation in Chinati’s Arena by Tony Feher and a performance by the acclaimed band Yo La Tengo. Throughout the weekend there will be open viewing of Chinati’s collection and the Block, Donald Judd’s Marfa residence, which features a permanent installation of his work dating from 1962-1978. All Open House exhibitions, talks, performances and meals are free to the public."

The selection of Yo La Tengo for the "Rock Music" slot is really something to look forward to. This band's music seems a perfect companion to the visual art and atmosphere of Open House weekend. We've seen in years past that some acts translate better to the surreal atmosphere of Open House. In 2003, the experimental New York trio The Secret Machines really rocked the Vet Hall and left the higher-profile performance by Spoon feeling a bit "poppy" (and “poopy”). And then in 2004, Brandan Curtis of Secret Machines returned solo for an unplugged session and was followed by the Earl Harvin Trio. Curtis’ set which in itself was wonderfully personal and melancholic, was drowned in the chatter of the upbeat Open House goers. And, for this observer, the Earl Harvin set came off too familiar, like we were all in a bar in some big city somewhere.

Whoever said “writing about music is like dancing about architecture” had it right. So I’ll leave that to the good lads at Rolling Stone magazine who say:

"Yo La Tengo explore quiet the way they once indulged in loudness -- as a means to a mood… the Hoboken, New Jersey, trio disguises its guitars, minimizes its drums and makes plink-plunk sounds with its keyboards to conjure mystery, uncertainty and precious private moments. Few bands submerge their ego more effectively than Yo La Tengo: Husband and wife Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley both sing slightly louder than a whisper, with very similar conversational voices. Jazzy instrumentation and dub-inspired studio manipulation share the foreground on shuffling, hushed workouts such as "Let's Be Still." The songs create a warm yet uneasy vibe that's not just meant for your head. Like Stereolab and Beck, Yo La Tengo liberate their listeners by downplaying language and logic in favor of our bodies' hazy dreams.”

Click here for the full Chinati Open House 2005 prorgam.

The Marfa.Org ®@ŋd¤m‡zЄ®

Underneath the Lights, Discover the Mystery of Marfa
Mayor Issues Call to Builders (re: Building Permit Process)
Art in Marfa..., MyWestTexeas.com story
Mando's will Close after 45 Years in Business
No Trespassing: The Art of Dan Flavin
New Additions to the Marfa.Org Gallery

Back To Reata, A Reader's Essay

This article was written and submitted by Jim Richards. Jim recounts his personal Marfa experiences and also shares his family history on the Brite Ranch. Thanks Jim!

Back To Reata

In the corner of my mind there is a place of much fascination and mystery. It’s located in far West Texas where few have visited but the mystique and geology of the area continues to draw me back and back again to revisit the early history of my family there. It is located in an area bounded by the small Texas towns of Marfa, Valentine, Van Horn, and the Rio Grande River to the west. This is big sky country where from several vistas one can see for miles and miles with nary a soul in sight. There are magical mountains, springs and mysterious canyons to be seen there that have not changed throughout time.

I suppose the world first got a taste of that region from a 1950s movie entitled “Giant” which gave one the impression that it was a dusty flat wilderness. George Stevens wanted to show a satirical side of Texas in that film so he chose the most lonely prairie site he could find to build the big Reata Ranch House facade. (There had been an earlier movie filmed in the area called “High Lonesome” with John Barrymore Jr., but it was not widely seen by many and is not available on video.) Long before my fascination of the area was cultivated...

story continues here

The Marfa.Org ®@ŋd¤m‡zЄ®

Yet another recap of Marfa in a national publication.
Salon.com does Marfa: Showdown in Marfa

Paul Graybeal's Moonlight Gemstones Site
TX Ag. Commissioner Outlines Options for Rural Areas
Chinati Foundation - Wikipedia Entry
Snap, Crackle, and Pop Art

Jake Brisbon Elected Chairman of TARC
Former Marfa Mayor and Presidio County Judge Jake Brisbin has been elected executive directors chairman of the Texas Association of Regional Councils for fiscal year 2006. Brisbin is executive director of the Rio Grande Council of Governments in El Paso, which serves the region stretching from Las Cruces to Alpine.