Skystone Foundation

Flagstaff, AZ

The Skystone Foundation supports Roden Crater, James Turrell’s monumental land art project in the Painted Desert region of Northern Arizona, transforming an extinct volcanic cinder cone into a naked-eye observatory and experiential artwork. Acquired by Turrell in 1977, Roden Crater has evolved over decades into a magnum opus that invites visitors to perceive light, time, and space through a network of chambers, tunnels, and apertures precisely aligned with celestial events. The project brings together art, astronomy, geology, architecture, and Indigenous land stewardship in one of the most ambitious contemporary art initiatives underway in the United States.

With FCI support, the Skystone Foundation will design a solar-powered microgrid to replace Roden Crater’s reliance on diesel generators. This technical assistance grant will fund engineering and pricing work to finalize a modular system incorporating a 900 kW photovoltaic array, battery energy storage, and backup generation. The microgrid is essential for supporting current construction and future public access while significantly reducing the site's environmental impact. Once built, it will eliminate fuel deliveries, lower carbon emissions, and ensure resilient, off-grid power for a work of art devoted to the collection and contemplation of light itself.

Milestones

• Finalize engineering plans and pricing for solar-powered microgrid

• Design 900 kW solar array with 725 kW AC output and battery storage

• Eliminate diesel fuel reliance and reduce trucking emissions

• Scale power system to support current and future phases of Roden Crater

• Enable off-grid, sustainable operation in remote desert environment

• Advance Roden Crater’s integration of ecological design and celestial art