Running Fence

Running Fence was created by the artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude and was installed in September 1976 in Northern California. The temporary installation consisted of 24.5 miles of white woven nylon fabric suspended on steel cables and poles, traversing the landscape of Sonoma and Marin counties.

Running Fence remained in place for approximately two weeks in September 1976 before being dismantled. Despite its brief existence, Christo and Jeanne-Claude spent over three years on planning, permitting, and community negotiation before the project could be realized.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude secured easements from dozens of ranchers whose land the fence crossed and obtained numerous government permits from local and federal agencies. The project was funded entirely by the artists through the sale of preparatory drawings, studies, and scale models, as they refused all public funding and corporate sponsorship.

The fence ran 24.5 miles from inland Sonoma County westward across rolling hills to the Pacific Ocean, reaching 18 feet in height. The route crossed privately owned ranch land, public roads, and a freeway, and the fabric panels were visible from distant vantage points across the Northern California landscape.