Everything changes, everything stays the same : the impact of the arts on the community development of Marfa, Texas

Abstract

This study examined the impact of the arts on community development in the town of Marfa, Texas. The purpose of this study was to examine the role the arts have played and continue to play in art education and community development. To explore the impact of the arts in Marfa, forty interviews were obtained from residents of the community in the summer of 2012. Seven themes emerged from these interviews, giving insight into the impact of the arts in the community development of Marfa. These themes included: Arts Community Support, Hard Work, Discourse and the Influence of Art, Cultural Differences and Similarities, Economic Benefit of the Arts, Cultural Augmentation, and Donald Judd: The Center of Influence in my interviews. These themes presented a range of perspectives regarding the impact of the arts in this small west Texas town.