The Museum of Sonoma County is commemorating the 50th anniversary of Christo and Jeanne-Claude's "Running Fence" with an exhibition titled "Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Running Fence at 50 Years." The original installation, active for two weeks in 1976, spanned 24.5 miles across 59 private ranches in Sonoma and Marin counties, ultimately descending into the Pacific Ocean. It involved 240,000 square yards of white ripstop nylon fabric, 90 miles of steel cable, 2,050 steel poles, and 13,000 anchors.
The project was a significant undertaking, costing an estimated $2.25 million in 1976 (upwards of $11 million today), funded entirely by the artists through the sale of their preparatory drawings. It required four years of planning, including negotiations with approximately 60 landowners, 18 public hearings, and the creation of the first-ever Environmental Impact Report for a public art project. The artists considered these processes, including the legal battles and public debates, integral to the art itself, referring to it as the "ultimate art project."
The exhibition features original materials like fabric and poles, Christo's artwork, and a video installation that recreates the movement and sound of the fence in the wind. Beyond its visual impact, the fence was noted for its distinctive sound—clanking metal hardware and breathing fabric. After its two-week display, all materials were dismantled and given to participating farmers, who repurposed them for various uses, from building corrals to windbreaks for cattle. Sections of the fabric have since been used for theater productions, art projects, and even sold as collectible swatches.
"Running Fence" is remembered not just as a monumental artistic achievement but also as a cultural phenomenon that sparked debate on property rights, government regulation, and freedom of expression. According to Vladimir Yavachev of the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation, the work was fundamentally about freedom. The project is credited with shifting Sonoma County from a purely agricultural community into an arts hub, with Christo himself noting its profound impact on hundreds of thousands of visitors.
