[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1297]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING ROBERT REESE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JIMMY PANETTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 2, 2017

  Mr. PANETTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Robert Reese, an 
outstanding constituent in my district on the Central Coast of 
California. Robert has served as the executive director for the Carl 
Cherry Center for the Arts for over 30 years. His dedication to 
preserving a vibrant artistic culture that pays homage to the 
traditions of the original artists' colony of Carmel, CA has served to 
make the central coast a hub of innovative art and science. Whether it 
be through sculptures, paintings, concerts, poetry readings, recitals, 
or multi-media performances, the Center for the Arts has consistently 
provided the invaluable service of allowing residents the opportunity 
to see themselves, and their community, through a different lens.
   Throughout his tenure as executive director, Robert has remained 
true to the founding vision of Jeanne D'Orge, who founded the Carl 
Cherry Center for the Arts in the 1940's. Famous for producing and 
hosting some of the world's greatest artists, poets, and writers since 
the turn of the 20th century, Carmel-by-the-Sea continues to nurture 
original art and new forms of theater, a wonderful public service that 
Robert has contributed to tirelessly over the past three decades. His 
keen eye for fully exploring the ``ethos'' behind any given piece of 
artistic expression is a gift that served him well at bringing the 
community the best kind of art--that which challenges our preconceived 
notions, and changes the way we think.
   In addition to being an expert curator of fine arts, Robert is also 
a former journalist and award-winning writer. His writing earned him an 
anthology in the publication Best Spiritual Writing, and the Monterey 
County Cultural Arts Benefactor Award. A man of great civic virtue, he 
also regularly volunteers as a chaplain for the Monterey County Jail, 
and at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula.
   Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleagues to join me in recognizing Robert 
Reese for his many accomplishments and contributions to his community. 
In these polarized times, bringing people together in any way possible 
is of the utmost importance, and there is no better way to accomplish 
this than through appreciation of great art, whatever form that may 
take.

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