SUDOKU
I WA LIFE
PAINTING IN THE HEARTLAND
A LOOK AT IOWA’S CONNECTION TO ‘AMERICAN GOTHIC’
Even if you’re not an art buff, there’s a good chance you’ve seen Grant Wood’s iconic oil painting “American Gothic.” It has a classic Midwest vibe, and features a solemn, pitchfork-wielding farmer standing beside his plain- faced daughter in front of a distinctive white house. Are you remembering your high school art class yet? Every Iowan knows “American Gothic” by heart, which is no surprise considering Woods was born and raised right here in the Hawkeye State in the 1890s. In fact, his childhood home still stands in Cedar Rapids, and the very house depicted in “American Gothic” has become a tourist attraction in nearby Eldon. The latter home was built in the 1880s but got a facelift in the 1930s, which left it looking just as it did in Wood’s day when he imagined the people who might live there. Visitors to the site can dress up in period garb and have their photo taken to create their very own “American Gothic,” then tour the interior of the house and the nearby visitor’s center, which spotlights Wood’s life and the history of the home. If you can’t make it to Eldon, don’t worry. Wood’s legacy is celebrated across Iowa with a 25-foot-tall statue of the “American Gothic” duo regularly shuttled from town to town. To this day, Wood is considered one of America’s most prominent 20th- century painters. Over the course of his career, he founded the Stone City Art Colony and taught at the University of Iowa’s School of Art. In addition to painting with oils, he also made art in a variety of other media like ink, charcoal, ceramics, and even found objects. He painted his masterpiece, “American Gothic,” in 1930, and it has been on display at the Art Institute of Chicago ever since. According to TravelIowa.com, Wood fans can also visit the Grant Wood Scenic Byway, the Grant Wood Art Gallery in Anamosa, the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art and the Cedar Rapids Grant Wood Studio & Visitor Center in Cedar Rapids, and the Iowa State University Parks Library in Ames to become fully steeped in the artist’s history. Next time you’re in the Hawkeye State, don’t forget to add one of these stops to your itinerary!
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