Grant Wood's Iowa

by Wende Elliott, William Rose

Overview

Be transported into the private and cherished world of this celebrated American icon with tour of Grant Wood's home state..

Grant Wood, Iowa native, iconic Regionalist American artist, certainly left his mark on his home state. Wood’s American Gothic is one of America’s most recognizable paintings, his boyhood home is a registered landmark, and collections of his work grace museums far and near. Now you can tour his state with five itineraries that provide a detailed exploration of the historical context for his work. Grant Wood’s Iowa explores his role in the art world with self-guided museum tours, detailed discussions of specific works, information on the finest lodging and dining in the state, and, finally, “green” travel options, including rural bed and breakfasts, restaurants offering local organic menus, nightlife with local artists, and nature hikes to experience the landscape that inspired Wood. You’ll be transported into the private and cherished world of this celebrated American icon.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780881509922
Publisher:	Countryman Press, The
Publication date:	05/06/2013
Pages:	138
Sales rank:	439,493
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Wende Elliott is a writer, organic farmer, and activist in organic and fair trade food. She has also taught at Iowa State University.

Painter William Balthazar Rose exhibits in Italy, England, and the United States and has taught at UC Berkeley and Princeton University.

Table of Contents

Foreword ix

Preface x

Acknowledgments xiii

How to Use This Book xiv

Grant Wood: Tormented Hero of the Heartland xvii

1 Anamosa and Stone City: The Place of Origin and Return

Antioch One-Room Schoolhouse 3

Grant Wood Gallery and Visitor Center 4

Anamosa State Penitentiary 5

Riverside Cemetery 6

Stone City Art Colony 8

Today's Landscape 13

2 Cedar Rapids: Artistic Evolution

Cedar Rapids Museum of Art 20

Grant Wood Studio and Home 27

Turner Mortuary 29

Veterans Memorial Building Stained-Glass Window 31

J. G. Cherry Plant 32

Cedar Rapids Schools 33

Coe College, Stewart Memorial Library 34

Today's Landscape 40

3 Southeast Iowa: Life Struggles and the Search for Self

Grant Wood's House 48

Plum Grove Historic Home 49

U of I Campus, Art Museum, and Art Department 50

The Figge Art Museum 51

American Gothic House 53

Amish Community in Kalona 55

The Amana Colonies 56

Today's Landscape 58

Farther Afield 62

4 AMES: Leadership in Public Art

Parks Library: Grant Wood Murals and Christian Petersen Sculpture 68

Morrill Hall and the Christian Petersen Art Museum 70

Campus An Walk 72

Memorial Union: Fountain and Veterans Memorial 75

Post Office Murals 76

Today's Landscape 78

9 Des Moines: Midwestern Ambitions and Legacy

Birthplace of Herbert Hoover 83

Prairie Buffalo Sanctuary 84

Governors Mansion 85

Iowa State Capitol 86

Des Moines Art Center 87

Today's Landscape 93

Farther Afield 95

The Future of Grant Wood's Iowa: Modem Transformations in Art and Land Stewardship in the Twenty-First Century 97

Maps: Anamosa and Stone City 99

Cedar Rapids 100

Southeast Iowa 101

Iowa City and Davenport 102

Awes 103

Des Moines 104

Des Moines-Farther Afield 105

Index 107