Former professor at Sacramento State Donald Herberholz will be remembered for his proficiency in art education, metal sculptures and sense of humor.

Donalds son, Eric Herberholz said when a neighbor once asked about what to do about all of the cobwebs under the roof of their house, his dad said “don’t look up.”

Herberholz’s focus at Sac State was teaching art education for future elementary school teachers, his son said. After teaching at Sac State for 35 years, he retired in 1991. Herberholz died at the age of 83 on Dec. 17, 2006, at his home in Sacramento County. He had been struggling with prostate cancer for several years.

From 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Monday, there will be a memorial service for Herberholz outside of Kadema Hall. The event will showcase an abstract sculpture created by Herberholz. The sculpture and bench dedicated to Herberholz are available to view outside of Kadema Hall. The figure, titled “Infinite Spirit,” was donated by his wife Barbara Herberholz last May, said Catherine Turrill, professor of art and assistant chairperson of the art department.

Close friends and former colleagues will speak during the memorial service, Turrill said. Donald Gerth, who served as president of CSUS from 1984 to 2003, could not attend but wrote a statement for the event about his friend, she said.

In 1964, he and his wife, also a former art professor at Sac State, co-wrote “Artworks for Elementary Teachers,” &- which became a huge success according to the number of copies sold. The publication became the standard for many college art education courses in the United States and Canada, the Sacramento Bee said. The book is in its ninth edition.

Herberholz pushed for an increase in emphasis of art education in grade schools, his son said.

When students are taught creativity through art, he said, it benefits them in other areas of school such as science and math.

“Creativity is important to be taught. It isn’t something that should be ignored,” his son said.

He said when educators face budget cuts, art programs are one of the first to get eliminated, and Herberholz fought against this tendency by trying to educate teachers and children about the importance of creativity through art.

Herberholz was well known for his expertise in art education and his skill in metal sculpture. Some of his art is displayed in various public locations across Sacramento. At the Carmichael Library, a metal African animal scene created by

Herberholz is located at the entrance. His works have also been displayed at museums and churches in Sacramento.

Over the course of his career, Herberholz received several awards for his contribution to art. The California Art Education Association’s Award of Merit honored Herberholz in 1981 and 1988. In 2005, the association awarded him and his wife a plaque for their contributions to art education. In 1984, he received Sacramento State’s Meritorious Professor Award.

“That’s what he loved doing and he was great at it,” said his son. “I always run into people who recognize (my father’s) name.”

His son expressed his appreciation for the people in the Sacramento area who remember Herberholz and the contributions he made to art education.

He said when he was participating in a swim meet in high school, someone recognized his last name and enthusiastically praised Herberholz’s owl sculptures, which were his specialty.

His son said that Herberholz created a pair of sculptures before meeting his wife: a dog named Otto and an owl named Eric.

“I’m kind of named after the owl,” his son said.

In his Sacramento Bee obituary, Maria Winkler, Sacramento artist and former Sac State professor said “Students really liked him. He was extremely knowledgeable about art and really loved talking to students.”

The sculpture and bench outside of Kadema Hall will serve as a reminder of Herberholz’s many accomplishments in art education and metal sculpture, and his publications and sculptures will remain as a testament to his life’s work.

Tzahuiztil Sanchez can be reached [email protected]