Ballroom Marfa is an internationally recognized non-collecting contemporary art museum located in Marfa, a rural town of less than 2,000 people in Far West Texas. Established in 2003 by Virginia Lebermann and Fairfax Dorn, our contemporary art and performance space is housed in a 1920s-era ballroom and is free and open to the public. With generous support from individuals and foundations, Ballroom commissions new site-specific and site-inspired projects and gives artists and musicians the opportunity to engage with the magnificent landscape of the Big Bend.

Ballroom is committed to helping artists and musicians achieve extraordinary projects and has commissioned many important works including: Kite Symphony, a new film commission by artists Roberto Lange (aka Helado Negro) and Kristi Sword; bust: indestructible columns (2019), rafa esparza’s performance on the South Lawn of the White House that challenged oppressive architectures of American power; stone circle (2018), a semi-permanent site-specific public installation by Haroon Mirza; The Marfa Triptych (2012 – 2016), a three-part musical portrait of West Texas by composer Graham Reynolds; Giant (2014), a film commission by Teresa Hubbard and Alexander Birchler; The Shea Butter Irrigation System (2013), a major installation in Ballroom’s courtyard by Rashid Johnson; Hello Meth Lab in the Sun (2008), an immersive transformation of Ballroom’s gallery by Jonah Freeman, Justin Lowe, and Alexander Singh; Prada Marfa (2005), a site-specific public sculpture by Elmgreen & Dragset; and Pyramids of Conscience (2005) a large-scale, site-specific sculptural commission by Agnes Denes.

As an advocate for the freedom of artistic expression, Ballroom Marfa’s mission is to support the work of artists, musicians, and visionary thinkers of all backgrounds. We commission new work, collaborate across disciplines, and produce exhibitions, public artworks, performances, screenings, concerts, symposia, education programs, and publications.

Ballroom believes in art’s power to transform and enlighten. We enable these profound cultural happenings and connections to further inspire local, national and international communities in developing new ways of experiencing and enriching our world.