Destination: Marfa Texas
Deone’s Trip to Marfa, Texas
HPAC Residency Committee Chair Deone Jackman and Chinati Foundation Associate Director Rob Weiner
In early 2007, HPAC Board Member Deone Jackman stopped off in Marfa, Texas to check out the West Texas art scene. What could this sleepy small town of under 2,200 have that would interest Deone? Well, if you didn’t know the story, here it is. Donald Judd, a NYC artist moved to Marfa in 1971 and began buying buildings in the town, both large (hanger size) and small, and installing many of his works in the spaces. Judd’s ultimate goal was to utilize these spaces to permanently install large collections of various artists’ work, presenting them in a way that was contrary to what museums were doing. More and more artists became involved in the project, and today there are two foundations in Marfa, Texas which carry on Judd’s legacy, the Judd Foundation and the Chinati Foundation.
Deone was taken with the idea that “a successful New York artist would just pick up and go to West Texas, it was courageous… there’s something so romantic about the notion…” It was in her words, an “expression of the power of an artistic endeavor.” She visited the site and through James Rondeau at the Art Institute, was connected with Rob Weiner, Associate Director of the Chinati Foundation. Deone chatted with Weiner about the space’s history, artists, and the current artist residency program that Chinati runs. Weiner was in Deone’s words “very gracious and it was so valuable to meet with him.” She got to tour the spaces and even met with an artist who had just arrived to begin their residencies with the Chinati Foundation. This was especially important for Deone as chair of HPAC’s Residency Program. Visiting Marfa and hearing how the program works there (several artists at once for three to four months at a time, no requirements on the artists, etc.) helped to further shape her thinking about HPAC’s own residency project, or as it’s become now, a research fellow.
The experience “broadened what artist residencies can be, what artists need, changed what I thought a residency program should be…” in Deone’s mind. She envisions HPAC’s research fellows program as bringing artists to the city of Chicago to engage with the community, learning about the Chicago art world and becoming ambassadors for the city to the larger arts community. She continues to think about what support can be provided for the artists by the Art Center, and not just what the Art Center can get from the program, but what we can do for the artists. If building a new space and expanding our programs was the first big step for the Art Center, this residency program can take it to the next level. As Deone summed up, “Artists take risks, and the risk taking…that’s the part that gets me excited.” Thanks for sharing tales from your trip with us, Deone!
Comments [1]
Jun. 8.2007
By Anonymous
What a great bit of knowledge news!