Kanye West embarked on an art pilgrimage last month to see the installations of artist James Turrell. On Monday, Kanye said he’s donating $10 million to the Turrell Art Foundation to help fund Roden Crater Project—an extinct volcano in northern Arizona where Mr. Turrell has been working on these craters in an extinct volcano for more than four decades.
Since 1977, Mr. Turrell has been transforming a volcano crater northeast of Flagstaff, Ariz., into an open-air observatory by carving tunnels into the crater’s cone that lead to temple-like rooms where Kanye got to walk through. Oval slits or openings in the ceilings of some of the spaces allow in light so that the rooms’ hues differ depending on the time and weather conditions and Kanye says they’re life changing and will one day live there.
Kanye and team visiting the Roden Crater by James Turrell in Flagstaff, Arizona earlier this week.
Kanye also visited the location on December 11. pic.twitter.com/4rySiP5Ujs
— TeamKanyeDaily (@TeamKanyeDaily) December 21, 2018
Mr. Turrell, who is 75 years old, is under pressure to finish his project after years of off-and-on funding. He recently teamed up with Arizona State University to raise $200 million to help complete his projects at the site and also turn the 2.5-mile-wide crater into a creative campus with residencies. Thus far $40 million has been raised. The goal is to open to the public in five years.
