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Ballroom Marfa's Stone Circle and Blackwell School Alliance's Marfa Storybook Mural

 

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On this episode, Diana Nguyen speaks to two artists with work debuting this weekend in Marfa.

First, internationally acclaimed artist Haroon Mirza joins us to talk about stone circle, his newest work with Ballroom Marfa.

"The work features black marble boulders that produce patterns of electronic sound and light from energy generated by solar panels. Each of the eight stones in the circle is carved to integrate LEDs and speakers. The ninth stone, the “mother” stone, sits outside the circle. The mother stone’s solar panels charge a bank of batteries that will power a sound and light score that we will activate with each full moon."

Mirza hopes that people will forget their own relationship with the sculpture, regardless of what activities may be involved. "It's not up to me to judge or prescribe. It can be whatever it needs to be. And I think that's what these monuments sort of represent," he says.

The "solar symphony" will take place on Sunday, April 29th at 9:03 pm. The location of the sculpture is at the end of Golf Course Road, across from The Marfa Municipal Golf Course.

El Paso-based Muralist Jesus "Cimi" Alvarado also joins us to discuss Marfa's newest mural. The work is commissioned by the Blackwell School Alliance, and seeks to celebrate the culture and heritage of Marfa.

Alvarado discusses the importance of telling stories of Mexican Americans, how murals can serve as a point of pride, and how El Paso's Segundo Barrio has influenced his work.

The mural will be unveiled during the first Blackwell Block Party on April 28, 2018. The celebration will begin at the mural on the east side of Marfa's Casner Building at 11 am.

 

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