The Search for a Painting
Published 12:00 am Sunday, April 30, 2006
By Ed Shannon, staff writer
Dr. Christopher Shoff has an interesting challenge. He’d like to find and purchase a painting by the late Lloyd Herfindahl (1922-1996) which has his father, Dr. Niles R. Shoff, as one of the models.
In reality, his father is reportedly depicted on two of Herfindahl’s artistic creations.
One of these is the large mural on the west wall in the council chamber of the Albert Lea City Center on East Clark Street. This particular mural was created by Herfindahl and shows the elder Shoff, who was Albert Lea’s mayor during 1959-69.
Mayor Shoff and members of the city council in the late 1960s are depicted in the lower right corner of this large mural.
Niles said he considered Herfindahl to be the city’s
&8220;resident painter.&8221;
He confirmed being the model for a second painting by the artist which was reportedly part of a &8220;traveling exhibit&8221; based on small-town living. However, the title for this second painting and its present location are now unknown.
Christopher Shoff decided to start an Internet search for this second painting. So far the results have been negative, but he recently located two other Herfindahl paints for sale on eBay.
He had missed out on a sale of several of this artist’s paintings which occurred in 2004. This time Chris decided to participate in the live auction event for the most recent paintings. As a result he was the successful bidder and now has possession of two of Herfindahl’s paintings which somehow ended up in California.
One of the paintings is named &8220;Boxing Match.&8221; The second is labeled &8220;Locker Room.&8221; It’s illustrated on Page 28
of the 1994 book, &8220;Fragments,&8221; written by Herfindahl and Gareth Heibert, a retired St. Paul Pioneer Press newsman.
Shoff thinks these two paintings were created during here 1960s.
He explains that the paintings were sold by a firm named Auctions by the Bay of Alameda, Calif. Shoff said this firm specializes in estate sales and fine arts.
&8220;I’m trying to find more information about the estate involved and where those paintings have been (for the past 40 years or so),&8221; he added.
Shoff said these two paintings will be displayed on a wall in the waiting room of Shoff Chiropractic, 139 S. Broadway Ave.
The Shoff building at the corner of South Broadway Avenue and East William Street was once the location of the city’s First National Bank. The Shoffs said they intend to make the waiting room in this historic building into a place where artwork related to Albert Lea is on display. Posters based on the Big Island Rendezvous by Eloise Adams are hanging on the wall. Now two original paintings by Herfindahl will become a part of this artistic local display. And maybe someday the second painting depicting his father, Dr. Niles Shoff, will be located and become a part of the collection in this waiting room.
Contact Ed Shannon at ed.shannon@albertleatribue.com or call 379-3438.