[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 45 (Monday, March 9, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E280]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO JEFFREY HERR

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                         HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF--

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 9, 2020

  Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Jeffrey Herr, who is 
retiring from the City of Los Angeles as Curator of the Hollyhock House 
in Barnsdall Park, Los Angeles and Curator of The Watts Towers in Los 
Angeles.
  For more than three decades, Mr. Herr has dedicated his career to the 
preservation, appreciation, management and creation of the arts. From 
his early years as an intern at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art 
(LACMA) to his present position as Curator of two notable institutions, 
Jeffrey has had a significant impact on the historic, arts and cultural 
community in Los Angeles.
  In 1988, after his internship at LACMA ended, Mr. Herr became a 
Research Assistant in the Decorative Arts Department at LACMA, and then 
the Assistant Gallery Director at the Couturier Gallery, which 
specialized in the American Arts and Crafts era, where he designed, 
curated and installed art exhibitions. Following that, he joined the 
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)'s Extension Program, where 
he created and presented lectures on the American Arts and Crafts 
movement.
  Mr. Herr's long and illustrious career with the City of Los Angeles 
began in 1990 when he was selected as Curator of the City's Department 
of Cultural Affairs for three years, arranging exhibitions for 
galleries such as the gallery in the Hollyhock House and at the Los 
Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, before moving on to become Arts Manager 
of the department, where he oversaw a cultural grants program that 
awarded three million dollars annually to 250 arts organizations and 
artists. In 1996, Jeffrey accepted the position of Director of the 
Banning Residence Museum, implementing and overseeing professional 
museum standards and restoration of the historic 1864 Victorian 
structure.
  In 2001, Mr. Herr became the Arts Manager of Los Angeles' Department 
of Cultural Affairs for the second time, managing special projects such 
as publishing and editing the Landmark L.A.: Historic-Cultural 
Monuments of Los Angeles and acting as the liaison with local agencies. 
In 2004, Jeffrey became the curator of the world-famous Hollyhock 
House, where he capably oversaw its preservation and interpretation. 
The 1921 residence, commissioned by Aline Barnsdall as a cultural arts 
complex, was designed by renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright with Ms. 
Barnsdall's favorite flower, the hollyhock, incorporated into the 
home's design. In 2019, under Mr. Herr's leadership, the Hollyhock 
House became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as one of the eight Frank 
Lloyd Wright sites in the world. In addition to his work at the 
Hollyhock House, Jeffrey is also the Curator of The Watts Towers, a 
National Historic Landmark, where he directs its preservation and 
conservation.
  Jeffrey Herr was born and raised in East Berlin, Pennsylvania and 
moved to Los Angeles in 1987. He completed his BA in English Literature 
in 1972 at Azusa Pacific University and MA with Honors in Art History 
in 1988 at California State University, Northridge. Jeffrey and his 
husband, Christopher Molinar have lived the Los Angeles neighborhood of 
Silver Lake for the past 27 years.
  I ask all Members of Congress to join me in congratulating Jeffrey 
Herr for three decades of outstanding service with the City of Los 
Angeles.

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