Ballroom Marfa was pleased to have Data Deluge artist Jennifer Dalton visit art students at Marfa Senior High School as part of our Making Art Work program. By coordinating in-class visits, the program gives students direct exposure to working art professionals, like Dalton

Dalton’s piece in Data Deluge, Marfa Info Station, offers online data, statistics, and reviews of Marfa, while inviting locals and passers-by to quite literally participate in Marfa’s “virtual reality,” and Dalton’s visit to the high school art class felt like an extension of this project. The conversations flowed between Jennifer’s experiences as a working artist as well as the students’ endeavors to pursue careers in art. Money seemed to be on everyone’s minds, as Dalton spoke about her work at Christie’s Auction House in the appraisals department and the strange relationship between art and its price. A talented welder and engraver named Shawn asked Dalton how much his handmade spurs would be, which led to another important question of object vs art object.