[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 53 (Friday, April 4, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E508]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING KATHRYN GUSTAFSON

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JIM McDERMOTT

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 3, 2008

  Mr. McDERMOTT. Madam Speaker, on the occasion of the honoring of her 
lifetime achievement, one of Seattle's great historic organizations, 
the Rainier Club, the People of the State of Washington would like to 
hold up as a national inspiration the special record of one of our 
State, Nation, and world's most notable landscape architects, the 
distinguished and virtually peerless Kathryn Gustafson.
  I have supported and honored the arts as a unique vehicle for 
personal growth and community enrichment. Landscape architecture in 
particular has the capacity to elevate the daily experiences of people 
from all walks of life while promoting harmony and balance between 
people and nature.
  Ms. Kathryn Gustafson's significant contributions to the discipline 
of landscape architecture are as impressive as they are vast in 
geography, style, theme and dimensions ranging from 1 acre to 150 
acres.
  As the BBC noted in a 2002 article, Ms. Gustafson's work ``is about 
harmony between the land and the mind, body and soul, she says, and 
harmony between the site's past and how it can be adapted for the 
future.''
  My home city of Seattle has been the beneficiary of her fine touch 
with projects such as Seattle's City Hall Plaza and the McCaw Hall 
Opera House.
  From Seattle to London and Paris to Beirut, Kathryn Gustafson's work 
in designing landscapes for complex, high-use spaces has enriched the 
lives of countless people. A sampling of her works include The Square 
of Human Rights in Evry, France; the Square Rachmaninov in Paris; the 
Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain in Hyde Park, London; the 
Museum of Art at the University of Michigan; and countless others.
  While Ms. Gustafson's awards are too numerous to list, she has been 
honored with the prestigious 2007 National Heritage of the 20th Century 
Award, bestowed by the French Minister of Culture; the 2003 Design 
Merit Award of the American Society of Landscape Architects for her 
work on the Arthur Ross Terrace at the American Museum of Natural 
History in New York City; and in 2001 the esteemed Chrysler Design 
Award, which is described by Chrysler as honoring the ``achievements of 
individuals who have consistently championed seminal works of 
architecture and design, and significantly influenced modern American 
culture.''
  But perhaps the most enduring honor of all is to lay claim to the 
translation of one's talents and vision into works that lift the 
spirits of millions of world citizens each and every day, and for 
decades and perhaps centuries to come.
  We in Washington's Seventh Congressional District give thanks to 
Kathryn Gustafson for her unique abilities and for sharing them with so 
many of her fellow citizens in the public sphere. We are proud to have 
such a distinguished architect among us.

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