But when the minimalist artist, writer and sculptor Donald Judd bought a house in Marfa in the 1970s, he started the town's transformation from a tiny, dusty outpost to — well, a tiny, dusty outpost for contemporary art. He also bought a decommissioned Army base filled with huge artillery sheds that he turned over for the work of other artists. Today, artists and galleries are tucked into the quiet streets and surrounding desert.