Escape February with Hot Soup!

Good afternoon! Are you still there, beneath all this snow? I hope you’re reading from under a cozy blanket with a steaming mug of coffee in your hands. Or a bowl of hot homemade soup, or even a slice of warm birthday cake—Hey, you can find all that at the Grant Wood Birthday Soup Smorgasboard!

Next Saturday, February 12, join the American Gothic House Center as we celebrate the 120th anniversary of Grant Wood’s birth. Enjoy delicious home-cooked soup with a side of fresh bread and crisp veggies. Soups straight from the kitchens of delightful AGHC volunteers will include chili, chicken veggie, chicken with wild rice, broccoli cheese, potato and vegetable beef. Complete the meal and the celebration with a slice of birthday cake or a brownie and a mug of hot coffee.

Bring a friend or find one in a room full of company! Freewill donations are welcome. The event will happen over lunch, from 11 am – 1 pm at the Eldon KD Center.

The view from my window is brilliantly white, because the sun is shining! The driveway is plowed and sidewalks snow-blown (thank you to everyone who helped with that), giving visitors a clear path to our front door. Our feathered friends can now hop around on the thick layer of snow and peck at aster seeds, whose long stems are suddenly beak-height. There’s a bird today I haven’t seen before, with charcoal feathers and a white belly. He was a little camera-shy, but I did get a few photos.

Wintery as it is, birds and seeds make me dream of spring. This spring brings a new set of exciting stops on our annual tour of Grant Wood Country!

On Saturday, April 16, you can climb aboard a charter bus and travel with us to Davenport and Iowa City. The Figge Art Museum is our first stop. We’ll look at Regionalist artwork and a railroad photography exhibit. Next, we tour the University of Iowa Museum of Art in Iowa City, home of Grant Wood’s painting Plaid Sweater.

Grant Wood lived in Iowa City from 1935-1942. His home at 1142 E. Court Street is now owned and occupied by James Hayes, who has generously agreed to give us a guided tour. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to visit the beautiful house!

We’ll finish out the entertaining day with a buffet-style meal before heading home. You can view a detailed itinerary on our website. The itinerary has links to all the collections we’ll be visiting. Call me at 641.652.3352, or respond to this email to sign up!