Donald Judd established the Chinati Foundation/La Fundación Chinati in Marfa, Texas, as an artist-centered site for the permanent installation of large-scale works of art. Chinati’s mission is to care for its collection and present it to a broad public; to build community and support artists through public programs, artist residencies, educational activities, and exhibitions; and to steward the architecture and the land that Judd conceived as integral to Chinati. Public access to Chinati is the primary and most important means of meeting our mission goal of engagement.

The Chinati Foundation will be using its Technical Assistance Grant to study low-energy methods of mitigating extreme temperatures and improve interior conditions in the historic buildings housing Donald Judd’s 100 untitled works in mill aluminum. The buildings, former military warehouses, were redesigned by Judd specifically for this large-scale work, and opened to the public in 1986. Situated in the Chihuahuan Desert, the buildings’ interior temperatures can fluctuate forty degrees over the course of a day, causing shifts in the mill aluminum and deterioration at the sculptures’ joints. Additionally, the buildings are not well sealed. Dust collects on the artworks’ metal surfaces, which can become marred by excessive cleaning. The goal is to understand possible interventions that are uniquely effective in arid climates to ensure human comfort and protection of the artwork while preserving the integrity of Judd’s architectural design.