Roden Crater

For the crater on Mercury, see Rodin (crater).
Roden Crater
An overhead view of Roden crater, photo taken from a satellite
Satellite view of Roden Crater, site of an earthwork in progress by James Turrell outside Flagstaff, Arizona.
Highest point
Elevation5,443 ft (1,659 m) NAVD 88[1]
Prominence470 ft (143 m)[2]
Coordinates35°25′31″N 111°15′33″W / 35.4252829°N 111.2590358°W / 35.4252829; -111.2590358[3]
Geography
Roden Crater is located in the United States
Roden Crater
Roden Crater
Roden Crater is located in Arizona
Roden Crater
Roden Crater
LocationCoconino County, Arizona, U.S.
Topo mapUSGS Roden Crater
Geology
Volcanic fieldSan Francisco volcanic field

Roden Crater is a cinder cone type of volcanic cone from an extinct volcano, with a remaining interior volcanic crater. It is located approximately 50 miles northeast of the city of Flagstaff in northern Arizona, United States.[4]

Art project

Artist James Turrell acquired the 400,000-year-old, 3-mile-wide (4.8 km) crater's land for a land art project.[5] Turrell has since been transforming the inner cone of the crater into a massive naked-eye observatory, designed specifically for viewing and experiencing sky-light, solar, and celestial phenomena.[6] The fleeting winter and summer solstice events will be highlighted.[7] Kanye West filmed his 2019 movie Jesus Is King at Roden Crater.[8]

In 2019, Arizona State University partnered with James Turrell to collaborate on the project with the help of a 1.8 million dollar gift.[9] The project, referred to as the "ASU-Roden Crater Project" at ASU is currently centered at the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, and hopes to foster interdisciplinary collaboration between the arts and sciences.[10] Courses at ASU, including one titled "Indigenous Stories and Sky Science" taught by Professor Dalla Costa have already begun including the Roden Crater into their curriculum.[9]

Future

The Dia Art Foundation is continuing to advocate for the development of James Turrell's Roden Crater project in the Painted Desert in Arizona which was begun in the 1970s with Dia's support.[11][12] James Turrell, who purchased the Roden Crater in 1979, had plans to open the crater for public viewing in 2011,[13] but now has tentatively set the opening for 2024.[14]

2015 fundraising tours

A fundraising event held daily from May 14 to 17, 2015, allowed visitors to tour Roden Crater for a cost of $6,500 to Turrell's nonprofit organization.[15]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Grand Falls". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce. Retrieved 2016-08-22.
  2. ^ "Roden Crater AZ". ListsOfJohn.com. Retrieved 2016-08-22.
  3. ^ Roden Crater, GNIS
  4. ^ Harwood, Richard D. "The Geological History of Roden Crater". The Roden Crater. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  5. ^ Cook, Earl. "Roden Crater Project – A Perspective". Retrieved 2019-01-14.
  6. ^ Brown, Mick (2019-10-24). "James Turrell's volcanic masterpiece: a trip inside the crater with Kanye West's favourite artist". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2020-03-27.(subscription required)
  7. ^ Brown, Jullia. "Occluded Front, James Turrell". The Lapis Press. 1985. ISBN 978-0932499103 – official Turrell-Roden Crater book
  8. ^ Kimmel, Jimmy (25 October 2019). "Kanye West Surprises Kimmel in Brooklyn". Youtube. Jimmy Kimmel Live. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  9. ^ a b Faller, Mary Beth (14 January 2019). "Letting in the light: ASU, artist James Turrell to partner on masterwork in the desert". Arizona State University. ASU News. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  10. ^ "ASU-Roden Crater Project". Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. Arizona State University. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  11. ^ "About Dia". Dia Art Foundation. Archived from the original on 2010-06-13. Retrieved 2010-03-19.
  12. ^ "About Dia § Affiliates". Dia Art Foundation. Retrieved 2019-01-14.
  13. ^ Finkel, Jori (November 25, 2007). "Shh! It's a Secret Kind of Outside Art". New York Times.
  14. ^ MacKenzie, Chase. "Roden Crater tentatively set to open in 2024 thanks to ASU and Kanye West". Arizona Daily Sun. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  15. ^ Miller, M. H. (February 19, 2015). "James Turrell Allowing Limited Visitors to Roden Crater for $6,500 a Person". ARTnews.