What a cool town and neat group the RC of Marfa is. They meet in a place I would say is something right out of Austin or the hill country, right there in Marfa. Padre's bar/grill/concert hall is their meeting place and I had my first outdoor club visit (great weather that day). This club could be considered the equivalent to the 'Club Metro' (ABQ) philosophy, laid back, meets in a bar, does a lot of great Rotary work, and has multiple generations making up the club.
President Cory has a good group here and I heard a presentation from a lady starting a Montessori school in Marfa. They have a ton of potential to grow this club with a little effort. This would be a club I would want to me a member at btw in that they operate like a non-traditional club but have been around since 1923.
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| President Cory & TP |
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| a Rotarian visiting from Georgia and his family next to the giant tin Mexican musician at Padre's |
The community itself is like a more laid back Santa Fe or even a little Boulder, a low key Austin/Portland with a strong Texas flavor. Lots of cool stuff to see from museums, art galleries and night life. Marfa Rotarian Mona took me to her museum/foundation/gallery/recording studio/artist in residence program for a tour.
www.haciendadelarcon.org
705 W Bonnie St
Marfa, TX 79843
432-729-4826
Map and Directions The mission of the International Woman's Foundation is to enhance the intellectual, spiritual and physical lives of women in the arts. The International Woman's Foundation is located in Marfa, Texas and housed in the 12,000 square foot, 1898-1920 former Bachelor's Quarters and Officers Club (Building 98) at historic Fort D.A. Russell. Founded in 2002 by the International Woman's Foundation (IWF), a non-profit 501 (c) 3 public foundation, is a blend of art and science. Building 98 is specifically known for the hauntingly beautiful murals painted during WWII by two German POW's of General Irwin Rommel's (The Desert Fox) elite Afrika Korps, who were billeted at Fort Russell after their defeat by General George Patton's Third Army in North Africa. The United States First Horse Cavalry of the Black Hawk Knight Dragoons was among the many regiments posted at Fort Russell. The late South African artist, Aedwyn Darroll, who served as the IWF Chairman of the Board of Artistic Advisors, evoked the turn-of-the-century, romantic border military history, in the beautifully stylized, IWF Black Hawk logo. During WWII Building 98 continued to be the social center of the area with the nearby Marfa Army Air Field as a training center for pilots. Building 98 is listed as a National Historic Site by the United States Department of the Interior, a Recorded Historic Texas Landmark by the Texas Historical Commission. January 2007 saw the entire grounds of old Fort Russell listed as a National Historic Monument by the United States Department of the Interior. It is considered a gem of Border Military History and Heritage Tourism. Tours are offered by appointment to visit this beautiful property. IWF offers gallery space for painters and sculptors and hosts seminars and art classes. Building 98 is also a favorite venue for writers seeking a peaceful place for the creative spirit. IWF receives both female and male, mature, short-term artists-in-residence of all disciplines. Artists installations are shown in the Building 98 galleries throughout the year.
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| Artist Bonita Barlow with her reflective work (no flash). She uses powdered glass to get the fluorescent effect. |
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| With flash. All of her work uses light in very interesting ways..... |
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| Mona educating the group I was part of...... |
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| This is the bar that Col Patton (before become Gen. Patton) used to drink at... right there in the corner.... |
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