Funding restored for Hollyhock House, Frank Lloyd Wright's LA landmark

Hollyhock House, designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright and accessible to the public, was at risk of losing more than $333,000 in city funding under previous budget proposals, including the mayor’s own.

However, the budget Mayor Karen Bass signed last week — sent to her desk by the City Council — fully restored funding for the architectural landmark in East Hollywood, which came as a relief to those who operate it.

 ”We're grateful to the mayor, and to the council for their support as well, to be able to keep the house open,” said Daniel Tarica, the general manager for the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs, which oversees the house's operations.

The proposed cuts would have eliminated two full-time positions — the arts manager and gallery attendant — cutting the museum staff in half. The reduction would have forced the house to close to the public, operators at Hollyhock House said.

“The closure would have taken Hollyhock House out of compliance with the UNESCO World Heritage designation staffing commitments,” said spokesperson Gabriel Cifarelli.

Hollyhock House is the only UNESCO World Heritage site in Los Angeles, and the only man-made heritage site in California. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s designation recognizes properties around that world that have significant cultural impact.

The house is also one of only two Wright-designed properties that are publicly owned in California, and the only one open for regular tours in L.A. More than 42,000 people tour the home each year.

Members of the public can take self-guided tours of the 6,000-square-foot Mayan-inspired house for $12. Access to the park surrounding the home is free, with a 90-foot elevation providing unobstructed views of Hollywood.

City budget cuts

This city of Los Angeles was facing a projected $1 billion budget deficit in the fiscal year that starts July 1. The deficit was the result of many factors, including expensive contracts with labor union leaders, increased legal liabilities and lower-than-expected tax revenue.

To close that deficit, Bass signed a $13 billion budget that included hundreds of layoffs of city personnel and cuts to city services. Previous budget proposals, including the mayor’s own, included deeper cuts, particularly to the L.A. Police Department.

The approved budget restored LAPD hiring levels. It also put back funding that had previously been cut for Hollyhock House.

L.A. City Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, who worked to find alternate funding sources for the site, wrote in a statement that saving Hollyhock’s funding was a “win” that would ensure the Department of Cultural Affairs could “continue uplifting arts and culture across our city.”

Origins of Hollyhock House

Hollyhock House was commissioned by American oil heiress and theatre producer Aline Barnsdall after she met Wright in 1915.

According to Abbey Chamberlain Brach, the director and curator of Hollyhock House, Barnsdall’s original vision for the property was for a sprawling arts complex, including a theatre, artist housing, and a central home.

This vision was ultimately not realized.

“In typical Wright fashion, this project went incredibly over budget,” Brach said.

Disputes over the costs of the project led Barnsdall to fire Wright in 1921. At that time, only her main residence, two additional units called Residence A and B and a garage were completed.

 ”Hollyhock [House] is this really important transitional project that shows Wright moving from his prairie style, for which he had really built such a reputation for in the Midwest, to some of his more innovative later designs,” Brach said.

Elements of that innovation can be seen throughout the house. A water course runs through the home, settling in a moat-like pool around the fireplace. The interior incorporates Wright’s idea of compression and release throughout the house, including an entryway with low ceilings that expand as the open-concept living room is revealed.

Another key design element is the Hollyhock flower from which the home gets its name.

“Aline Barnsdall’s favorite flower was the Hollyhock and that motif runs across the stonework, the woodwork, the textiles and the art glass in this house,” Brach said.

The property incorporates many examples of the Hollyhock flower, among other plants that hug closely to the house's walls. The beige exterior stone stands out against the green lawns that surround the building.

Barnsdall lived in the house for only a year and donated the home to the city of Los Angeles in 1927.

Hollyhock under the city’s stewardship

Today, the house is a museum and center point of the Barnsdall Art Park, a 12-acre property that features an art gallery and public park, with views of the Hollywood sign and Griffith Observatory.

 ”What the city has been able to do is really help realize a lot of Aline Barnsdall’s vision,” Tarica said. Facilities at the park include art centers for adults and children, a junior art gallery, and performance space.

Art exhibitions are often featured inside the house. A current exhibition by L.A.-based artist Janna Ireland explores the home's conservation and restoration efforts through photography.

Other programming is aimed at bringing in new audiences, including puppet shows for children and families.

“ I think by diversifying our programming, opening up the house in new ways, gives people more opportunities to visit time and time again,” Brach said.

Restoration work on both the main house and Residence A continues. Residence A has been closed to the public since the 1994 Northridge earthquake, but is now expected to reopen as an archive in 2027.

Ways to enjoy Hollyhock House

Self-guided tours of Hollyhock House are available most weeks, Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m to 4 p.m.

The Barnsdall Art Park is open each day from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. The arts center is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Free puppet shows by the Bob Baker Marionette Theater will continue until October. The next one is scheduled for July 27.

The Barnsdall Art Park Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports the park, is hosting fundraising Wine Tastings on Hollyhock’s lawn each Friday from June 6 through Sept. 26, except for July 4.