Herb Herbst 1926-2017

On Sunday, June 4th, the Jersey Shore Arts Center held a large visual arts event, a group show that filled much of the building.  Unlike the recent WinterArts festivals, this one included artists not currently connected to the building, a former high school that has been transformed into a regional art center, mostly through the hard work of volunteers.  We had a good turnout at the show, but the one person missing was Herb Herbst, the man behind the JSAC and one of the hardest working people there.  However, earlier that day one of the many artists who have studios there found Herb needing medical help.  Not the first time our leader had to be dragged to the hospital and away from his pet project.  One of the grandsons supervised the well attended event, while the rest of his family joined him at the hospital.  Unlike the other stays, this time Herb didn't come back- passing away a week ago.  Word quickly spread through the building (I had been proofing my newest saint block), and while no one was surprised at his passing, we were all a bit stunned.  Despite being in his 90's, he was still there most days, often pitching in with physical labor.

We are all wondering what this means for the future of the building, but the word is that plan is to go forward with everything on the schedule and maybe to continue expanding.  Many of the visitors to the recent show were first time visitors to the building, even though it has been on the edge of Ocean Grove for more than a century.  And Herb realized before most people that the building was a treasure of late 19th century architecture and came up with a plan to save it.  It has been a lot of work and it's a gradual process- the 3rd floor was only occupied starting a few years ago.  But it's a going concern, and a very active place.  None of us are sure what comes next, but as long as I am working there, I'll be recording my activities on this blog.