Marfa, Texas
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Marfa is a city located in Presidio County, Texas. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 2,121. It is the county seat of Presidio CountyTemplate:GR. Its ZIP code is 79843.
Marfa was founded in 1883 as a railroad water stop, and grew quickly through the 1920s. Marfa Army Air Field (Fort D.A. Russell) was located east of the town during World War II and trained several thousand pilots before closing in 1945 (the abandoned site is still visible ten miles east of the city). The base was also used as the training ground for many of the U.S. Army's Chemical mortar battalions. Today Marfa is a tourist destination, located between the Davis Mountains and Big Bend National Park. It is also a popular site for soaring.
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Growing arts community
In 1972, Donald Judd, the renowned minimalist artist, moved to Marfa from New York City. With assistance from the Dia Art Foundation in New York, Judd acquired Fort D.A. Russell after it was decommissioned, 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 the collection includes one piece from each artist does not allow the viewer an understanding of each artist and their work on a deeper level.
Since Judd's death in 1994, two foundations have been working to maintain his legacy: The Chinati Foundation and the 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. This year, Open House 2004, was co-sponsored by both foundations and attracted thousands of visitors, more than ever before.
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 Lannon 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 mysterious Marfa Lights
Marfa may be most famous for the Marfa Lights, visible every clear night between Marfa and the Paisano Pass as you face 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 recalls that in 1883 a young cowhand, Robert Reed Ellison, saw a flickering light while he was driving cattle through Paisano Pass and wondered if it was the campfire of Apache Indians. He was told by other settlers that they often saw the lights, but when they investigated they found no ashes or other evidence of a campsite."
Investigations both on foot and by aircraft have failed to discover the source of the lights, and although theoretical explanations abound, they remain a mystery.
The county has set up a viewing area nine miles east of town on U.S. 67 near the site of the old air base.
Geography
Marfa is located at 30°18'43" North, 104°1'29" West (30.311863, -104.024779)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.1 km² (1.6 mi²). 4.1 km² (1.6 mi²) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 2,121 people, 863 households, and 555 families residing in the city. The population density is 521.6/km² (1,354.6/mi²). There are 1,126 housing units at an average density of 276.9/km² (719.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 91.04% White, 0.28% African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 7.50% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races. 69.87% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 863 households out of which 29.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% are married couples living together, 13.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% are non-families. 31.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 17.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.35 and the average family size is 2.99.
In the city the population is 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 are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 39 years. For every 100 females there are 101.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 100.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $24,712, and the median income for a family is $32,328. Males have a median income of $25,804 versus $18,382 for females. The per capita income for the city is $14,636. 20.6% of the population and 15.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 24.6% of those under the age of 18 and 26.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
See also
External links
- Marfa.org (http://www.marfa.org/) - current Marfa news and discussion.
- The Big Bend Sentinel (http://www.marfatx.com/bb_index.asp) - local newspaper.
- The Chinati Foundation/La Fundación Chinati (http://www.chinati.org/)
- Marfa Chamber of Commerce (http://www.marfacc.com/)