Help us reach our goal!

Dear Readers,

Each week, I enjoy learning about Grant Wood and passing my discoveries on to you. I have received many personal responses to these weekly updates over the past few months, and I appreciate the investment of your time and energy in reading my messages and replying. Many of you are Eldon residents who support and volunteer at the Center. Some readers are past visitors, Grant Wood enthusiasts, or those who simply take an interest in art, history, and the world around them.

The American Gothic House Center is a permanent resource for art and cultural education. Our mission is to integrate the puzzle pieces of American Gothic by linking the house that inspired the painting to the impact of American Gothic and Grant Wood on American art. Those of you following this newsletter have seen the far-reaching effects of Wood, from teaching popular artist Isabel Bloom to leading a movement which gave us great American artists like Andrew Wyeth and Norman Rockwell.

Over the past three years, the American Gothic House Center has attracted travelers and educational institutions from Iowa and Missouri. In all, the Center has hosted nearly 35,000 people from all 50 states and 41 foreign countries. Annual visitor numbers are steadily rising, showing that our mission envelops a treasured part of history. The Center organizes bus tours, lectures, children’s events and school tours, teaching appreciation of precious Midwest cultural heritage to a variety of audiences.

The American Gothic House Center strives to become financially independent through gift shop revenue, sponsorships, and by establishing an endowment fund. We are the grateful recipient of an Iowa Cultural Trust Endowment Challenge Grant, which will match funds we raise to help start an endowment. As a subscriber to the weekly newsletter, you have already shown support for the American Gothic House Center. I invite you to strengthen your role in the valuable experience we provide the community by making a contribution to our fund drive. If you would like, you can use the donate button on our website to give your tax deductible gift.

The endowment campaign is the beginning of an ongoing drive to ensure the long term sustainability of the American Gothic House Center. Funds raised in this campaign will be used to match the Iowa Cultural Trust Endowment Challenge Grant and will become endowment funds to support the Center's annual operations. An endowment is a permanent, persistent resource which provides funding to expand during successful years and offers security in challenging times. Establishing an endowment to assist with operating expenses is the responsibility of any responsible nonprofit organization. With your support the American Gothic House Center can continue to attract visitors and provide education for many years to come!

Thank you for helping us reach our goal.

Molly Moser
Administrator
American Gothic House Center
theamericangothichouse@gmail.com

Don’t forget to sign up for the American Gothic House Center’s annual bus trip to discover Grant Wood country! You can view a detailed itinerary of the trip 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 reserve your seat!