Ballroom Marfa Art Fund

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Announcing Marfa Myths 2017: March 9-12

6 Dec 2016

Marfa-Myths_Digital-Flyer

“the [Marfa Myths] festival is perhaps the most extreme example in a recent trend toward intimate, meticulously curated music events” – NY Times

“no VIPs, no velvet ropes, just long brambles called ocotillo, which look like the kind of menacing weeds you expect to find on your way into hell – which is to say, Marfa Myths is a music adventurer’s dream.” – Billboard

Marfa Myths expands in size and mind as Ballroom Marfa and Mexican Summer bring the festival back to Far West Texas for four days in March 2017. So pleased to announce the amazing lineup, which includes Pharoah Sanders, a collaborative performance by Weyes Blood & Perfume Genius, Allah-Las, Roky Erickson, and much more.

MARFA MYTHS 2017 LINEUP

Roky Erickson
Perfume Genius & Weyes Blood (Collaborative Performance)
Pharoah Sanders
Julia Holter
Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids
Jenny Hval
Allah-Las
Cate Le Bon
Connan Mockasin presents: Bostyn ‘n Dobson
Zomes
Lonnie Holley
Rose Kallal
Tonstartssbandht
Botany & Shingetsu Billy White
Chulita Vinyl Club

Starting things off on Thursday, Texas psychedelic royalty Roky Erickson performs and is honored in a 13th Floor Elevators gallery retrospective curated by Boo-Hooray. Afterward, poet Eileen Myles and Ballroom Marfa curator Laura Copelin host Dirty Gay Movie Night at the illustrious Crowley Theater. On Friday, Baltimore duo Zomes perform at Wrong Marfa, and that evening, visual artist and musician Lonnie Holley performs solo and as part of a special collaboration with Florida duo Tonstartssbandht at the Strange Attractor opening at Ballroom Marfa. The group exhibition is curated by Gryphon Rue, and features historical works that take sound, site, and technology as their point of origin. Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids bring their spiritual San Francisco sound to an after party following the Strange Attractor opening. On Saturday, join us for a late afternoon of transcendent free jazz and experimental pop from Pharoah Sanders and Julia Holter. The marquee Saturday night concert at The Capri features Cate Le Bon, Allah-Las, Jenny Hval, and a Perfume Genius / Weyes Blood collaboration alongside a surprise or two. Marfa Myths closes out on Sunday with the premiere of Connan Mockasin’s new sitcom Bostyn ‘n Dobsyn with a surprise performance to be announced in the new year. In addition to unique installations and performances, Marfa Myths also hosts music and art residencies resulting in limited edition recordings and the annual Marfa Myths journal. This year’s participating visual artist is Matthew Craven, while Gustav Ejstes and Reine Fiske of the Swedish band Dungen collaborate with Jeremy Earl and Jarvis Taveniere of Woods for the recording residency. Marfa Myths is an annual music festival and multidisciplinary cultural program founded in 2014 by nonprofit contemporary arts foundation Ballroom Marfa and Brooklyn-based music label Mexican Summer.

Mexican Summer & Ballroom Marfa Present Marfa Myths

16 Jan 2015

Lineup by Rob Carmichael

BALLROOM MARFA & MEXICAN SUMMER PRESENT
MARFA MYTHS
MARCH 13-15, 2015
Featuring Grouper, Iceage, Blood Orange, Connan Mockasin, Tamaryn, Steve Gunn, Weyes Blood, Jefre Cantu-Ledesma, Suicideyear and more

Buy tickets here!

Residents of Brewster, Jeff Davis and Presidio counties may purchase tickets at a discount in-person at Freda and the Ballroom Marfa gallery.

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Marfa Myths is a cultural program taking place March 13-15, 2015 in Marfa, Texas. Curated by New York based music label Mexican Summer and co-presented with Ballroom Marfa, it features artists from within and outside of the Mexican Summer and Software Recording Co.
rosters working creatively and collaboratively across music, cinema and visual arts contexts.

2015 programming includes a recording residency with Dev Hynes and Connan Mockasin, a sound bath created by Jefre Cantu-Ledesma, a semi-permanent outdoor mural by Liz Harris (Grouper), a presentation of Gregg Kowalsky’s live installation Tape Chants, and a screening of short documentaries and Holy Cow Swami at Crowley Theater presented by CineMarfa and Anthology Recordings. Furthermore, live programming throughout the weekend will include sets from Iceage, Grouper, Tamaryn, Steve Gunn, Weyes Blood, GABI, Thug Entrancer, Co La, Bitchin Bajas, LBS. and Suicideyear.

Additionally, there will be an exclusive, limited edition 12-inch record documenting the Dev Hynes and Connan Mockasin collaboration alongside a journal featuring contributions from local Marfa artists and participating festival artists.

A central objective of the festival is to engage with the Marfa community and its esteemed cultural institutions. Marfa is an artist enclave tucked into the high desert of the Trans-Pecos in Far West Texas, and has become a destination for contemporary art, due in part to the work of Donald Judd and the Chinati Foundation. Founded in 2003, Ballroom Marfa has established itself as a hub for artists working in music, performance, film and visual arts. Past projects include Elmgreen & Dragset’s Prada Marfa; Jonah Freeman, Justin Lowe, and Alexandre Singh’s Hello Meth Lab in the Sun; Rashid Johnson’s Shea Butter Irrigation System, and Agnes Denes’ Pyramids of Conscience. Ballroom Marfa has also hosted performances from Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Julianna Barwick, Tinariwen, and Sonic Youth, among many others. The festival will coincide with the opening of a solo exhibition from Sam Falls at Ballroom Marfa, featuring new sound, video, sculptural, and wall works by the Los Angeles-based artist.

The festival follows the inaugural happening in Marfa in March 2014, which featured Mexican Summer roster artists Connan Mockasin, No Joy, Arp and Weyes Blood. With an expanded program for 2015, Mexican Summer and Ballroom Marfa seek to establish this festival as an annual event in Marfa.

Tickets are available at mexicansummer.com, www.ballroommarfa.org, Freda (207 S.
Highland Avenue, Marfa) and in person day of show(s).

Ticketing Info:
Friday & Sunday: free
Saturday: $15 day pass
Festival bundle ($40): Saturday day pass, limited edition 12″ of Dev Hynes & Connan Mockasin, tote bag and journal featuring participating artists and local Marfa-based artists

Friday, March 13 – Ballroom Marfa (108 E. San Antonio Street)
Sam Falls solo exhibition: Opening Night
Software Recording Co. presents: GABI, Thug Entrancer, Co La
Liz Harris’ (Grouper) painting will be available for viewing at 201 E. Dallas Street all weekend and beyond

Saturday, March 14
Sound Bath with Jefre Cantu-Ledesma @ The Well (119 W. Highland Avenue)
Tape Chants with Gregg Kowalsky @ Building 98 (705 W. Bonnie Street)
Mexican Summer presents: Iceage, Grouper, Tamaryn, Steve Gunn, Weyes Blood @ The Capri (603 W. San Antonio Street)
Late night: Bitchin Bajas’, Suicideyear, LBS. @ Foodsharkland (1411 W. San Antonio/Hwy 90)

Sunday, March 15
CineMarfa & Anthology Recordings present a specially selected film program and Holy Cow Swami @ Crowley Theater (98 S.

Weyes Blood in BOMB Magazine

13 Jan 2015

Weyes Blood, Mexican Summer Festival, March 8, 2014.  Photo by Alex Marks.
Weyes Blood at the Ballroom Marfa/Mexican Summer Festival in Marfa, Texas, March 8, 2014. Photo by Alex Marks.

Tobias Carroll interviews Natalie Mering of Weyes Blood, who played for us last year at our Mexican Summer Festival (and will return this year, more info coming soon). Natalie is touring the West Coast with one of our all-time faves, harpist Mary Lattimore, who rolled through Marfa last week on her way to meet Natalie in California. Tour dates here.

An excerpt about Natalie’s influences:

TC: Listening to the two albums, The Innocents has a little bit more of a folk feel to it, and you’ve mentioned that your parents are musicians. Did that have any influence on you or the sort of the music that you started to make?

NM: My dad taught me how to play some guitar chords when I was little and I always looked up to him because he was in a crazy band, and he always liked weird music. He really liked the band XTC. He was in a weird New Wave band with an electric viola player, so I was always attracted to the weirder aspects of the music world. My older brothers were into Ween, and XTC and Ween are pretty weird bands, and my mom was obsessed with Joni Mitchell. I grew up hearing a lot of Joni, but I didn’t really get it as a kid. I thought it was cool, and I liked some of her songs for sure, but I didn’t try to emulate her at any point. Now I kind of feel like I’m ready to do that. She’s kind of a beast.

New Music from Weyes Blood

12 Sep 2014

"Weyes

Congratulations to Ballroom alum Weyes Blood, a.k.a Natalie Mering, who not only has a new album out next month, but has also been featured as one of FADER‘s “Gen F: Music to Know Now”. They write:

“With its lush, country-rock arrangements and ghostly harmonies,

her debut full-length on Mexican Summer, The Innocents,is a document of [a] chiseled approach to songwriting, balanced by a sort of inverse vocal technique that comes from letting her natural voice ‘unhinge itself.'”

 

The Innocents will be released October 26. Listen to “Hang On” below and pre-order the album here.

 

Announcing Ballroom Marfa and Mexican Summer’s Pre-SXSW Festival

14 Feb 2014

Poster by Rob Carmichael/SEEN.
Poster by Rob Carmichael/SEEN.

Mexican Summer and Ballroom Marfa have come together to curate a day-long celebration full of music, star ogling, and good vibes at the El Cosmico campground in Marfa, Texas on Saturday, March 8, 2014 (noon to sundown). A long celebrated artist’s outpost and hotbed of metaphysical inspiration, Marfa will provide a blissful backdrop for this inaugural gathering of Mexican Summer friends and family.

This event will be free and open to the public, featuring performances by an auspicious slice of the Mexican Summer roster:

Connan Mockasin (6pm)

No Joy (5pm)

Quilt (4pm)

Weyes Blood (3pm)

Arp (2pm)

Attendees can also expect to enjoy a thriving community of local artists and visionaries, tasty local eats & drinks, a restorative soak in El Cosmico’s Dutch tubs, and awe-inspiring views of the Trans-Pecos.

We hope to see you there!

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