View of Marfa with thePuertecita Mountains in the background, the Chinati Foundation in the foreground. Photo by Florian Holzherr.
The Chinati Foundation reopens this week. At least partially. The Marfa, Texas desert art-post will invite visitors back for outdoor, self-guided tours beginning this Thursday, May 6. The tours will run Thursdays through Sundays with timed tickets, which will become available starting today, May 3.
Founded by Donald Judd on the grounds of the former Fort D. A. Russell in Marfa, Chinati’s permanent exhibitions includes many of the artist’s works — most of which will be viewable via the walking tours. Some highlights from the collection include Judd’s 100 untitled works in mill aluminum (viewable from outdoors through the gallery windows); Judd’s instantly recognizable 15 untitled works in concrete from the early 1980s; and Claes Oldenburg & Coosje van Bruggen’s Monument to the Last Horse.
Donald Judd’s 100 works in mill aluminum at the Chinati Foundation
As one of the many art institutions to announce Covid-related closures in March of last year, Chianti grappled with phased reopening for guided and self-guided tours last summer. It closed again last summer, a month after Chinati Weekend 2020 was moved to online-only, and a week after the last scheduled self-guided walking tours at the museum.
Chinati is still following its Covid-19 protocols, and requires visitors to social distance and wear face masks during their visits, and all of Chinati’s interior installations will remain closed. For the 1.6 mile walking tours, which are expected to last up to an hour and a half, Chinati advises visitors to bring water and sturdy shoes.
For more about Chinati Foundation, please go here.
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The Chinati Foundation/La Fundación Chinati is a contemporary art museum in Marfa, Texas based upon the ideas of its founder, Donald Judd. The specific intention of Chinati is to preserve and present to the public permanent large-scale installations by a select group of artists. The emphasis is on works in which art and the surrounding land are inextricably linked.
