Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1112638
Hofsas House Offer s Ocean Views and Unique Ar t B Y L A R R Y H A R L A N D A rtists have long found inspiration and refuge in Carmel, but few left a more visual stamp on the village than Maxine Albro. For proof, just drive past Hofsas House Hotel on San Carlos Street. Albro (1893-1966) earned a reputation as one of America's finest artists, among few women commissioned under the New Deal's Federal Art Project during the Great Depression. Influenced by the work of Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, Albro became best known for painting a large fresco at San Francisco's Coit Tower, depicting agricultural life in California. Albro moved to Carmel in the 1940s, befriending innkeeper Donna Hofsas, who opened her hotel in 1947. To enhance the inn's Bavarian theme, Hofsas asked her friend to paint a whimsical mural. Albro also painted three works now hanging in the lobby, along with the colorful, ornate head- board in Room 47. (Guests can request that room as part of the "Get Artsy Package.") Today, Hofsas House retains its charm, with help from its pronounced pink exterior and Albro's mural. Managed by Donna Hofsas' granddaughter Carrie Theis, the inn cherishes Albro's work as a familial legacy. "We appreciate the work by Maxine to bring more character to Hofsas House," Theis says. "She adds to the artistic history of Carmel." The Hofsas House Hotel is located on San Carlos Street between 3rd and 4th Avenues in Carmel. For more information, call 800/221- 2548 .or go to www.hofsashouse.com. SHORTCUTS NEIGHBORS Maxine Albro painted the distinctive mural on Carmel's Hofsas House. Carrie Theis is the manager of the hotel her grandmother Donna Hofsas opened in 1947. 100 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 9 Photo: Kelli Uldall