Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House could soon be closed to the public and lose its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site if budget cuts proposed by Mayor Karen Bass are passed by the City Council.
The architectural landmark, perched atop Barnsdall Art Park in East Hollywood, is managed by the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs, with two full-time staffers running tours on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays as well as handling the maintenance of the building, which is an early example of California Modernist architecture.
The mayor’s proposed budget, which attempts to close a nearly $1-billion shortfall in part by laying off more than 1,600 city employees, eliminates one of those two staff positions and also cuts two vacant positions at Hollyhock House.
The Cultural Affairs Department had been interviewing candidates for the vacant positions and had made an offer for the job of arts manager. But after the mayor released her proposed budget, the department had to rescind the offer and pause other job interviews.
“A single full-time staffer would not be able to manage both the tour program and preservation, necessitating the suspension of public tours until additional full-time staff could be restored,” said Juan Garcia, a spokesperson for the department.
Amid the massive budget shortfall caused in large part by rising personnel costs, soaring legal payouts and a slowdown in the local economy, department heads have been testifying before the City Council’s budget committee about how the mayor’s proposed cuts would affect city services.
The Cultural Affairs Department would face 14 layoffs and the elimination of 10 vacant positions, out of 91 total positions. The cuts also could lead to the closure of the Lincoln Heights Youth Arts Center, said Daniel Tarica, the department’s general manager.
Oil heiress Aline Barnsdall commissioned the Hollyhock House in 1918. She never lived in it, donating it to the city in 1927.
In 2019, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site — the only man-made World Heritage Site on the West Coast.
The house was closed for more than two years during the COVID-19 pandemic, reopening in August 2022 after undergoing major renovations.
The monumental fireplace, which brings together the four classical elements of earth, air, fire and water, was restored, as were the art-glass balcony doors in the master bedroom.
Two Wright-designed sofa tables, which the architect had said he considered “part of the house design itself,” were reinstalled.
The improvements also included a major restoration of the guest house.
The UNESCO designation required the house to have four full-time staffers, said Garcia, the spokesperson. The department has requested that the City Council restore the three positions in its final budget, which it must pass by June 1.
“The proposed staffing cuts will severely impact the management of Hollyhock House and subvert the baseline staffing commitments made by the City of Los Angeles as part of the site’s 2019 World Heritage List inscription,” Garcia said.
The proposed cuts shocked preservationists.
“UNESCO World Heritage status is a great honor that needs to be nurtured, not lost by taking public access away,” said Kim Cooper, one of two people behind Esotouric’s Secret Los Angeles, a tour company and preservationist blog. “Hollyhock House is the only one of Wright’s Los Angeles houses that people can tour, recently restored at great cost.”
Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez, who represents the area, said it’s imperative to keep the house’s UNESCO status in light of the upcoming Olympic Games and World Cup.
“We’re exploring all options through the budget process to save our dedicated Hollyhock House staff and preserve its protected status,” he said in a statement.